


My Secret Melody

by K8e_Cre8s



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Complicated Relationships, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Love Triangles, Love at First Sight, Secret Crush, Self-Discovery, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:01:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 41,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27944987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K8e_Cre8s/pseuds/K8e_Cre8s
Summary: Melody Reed came to the country to find her own way from her famous foster family. Not knowing anything else about her birth family or their past besides the farm in Pelican Town she inherited from her grandfather, Harrison Reed, she decides this is the best path to find out who she is and where she came from. The only problem is that there are two obstacles that vie for her attention: the sizeable farm that eats up most of her time and a certain bachelor that steals her heart.
Relationships: Alex/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Alex/Haley (Stardew Valley), Haley (Stardew Valley) - Relationship, Penny/Sam (Stardew Valley), Sam/Female Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	1. Melody

**Author's Note:**

> This is my third attempt at a Stardew Velly fanfic so I hope you enjoy. Alex doesn't get a lot of love in the fandom because he can come off as a sexist, dumb jock but I'm writing him from my point of view: as someone that can be redeemable, especially if they've had a difficult past and work to make themselves better. (You can thank my first fanfic, Pearl of the Valley, for making me take a second look at this loveable jock.) 
> 
> For the most part, sex will be implied except for the one or two chapters I have planned. These chapters will be marked with an '*'.

“Who’s that?” Alex asked his granny. 

Following Evelyn outside to toss his gridball while she tended the community garden, he saw a young woman with strawberry blonde hair in braids on either side of her shoulders walking across the town square.

Evelyn turned to where Alex was staring and squinted. “Oh! That’s the new farmer, Mel. She moved here two weeks ago, remember? Nice gal,” she replied with a smile. 

Alex continued to watch Mel stroll toward the beach with a fishing pole, basket in hand and a happy smile on her face. 

Noticing Alex still staring in curiosity, Evelyn’s eyes twinkled mischievously, “Mel’s coming to dinner tonight so we can talk about her grandpa. Didn’t I tell you?”

Alex snapped out of his trance when the farmer stepped out of view behind the saloon. “What? No. I guess I forgot,” he answered stepping underneath the oak tree.

The truth is he had forgotten. Between training for gridball season and the arguments with his girlfriend, Haley, becoming more frequent, Alex’s mind was occupied. They were going through one of their usual bouts but this last fight had him re-examining their three-year relationship.

He caught sight of Mel crossing the bridge. At this distance, she looked so small that she could easily be mistaken as a child, swinging her basket gleefully. It was as though she hadn’t a care in the world.  _ Must be nice,  _ Alex thought to himself. 

Alex was supposed to go over to Haley’s this afternoon but, after the screaming fit she threw yesterday, he really didn’t want to. It was the same gripe he’d heard before, many times, about how he wasn’t paying enough attention to her lately. There were only so many hours in the day and only so many times Alex could fuck her before he got tired or, as of late, bored. It was the same old shit every day but he stayed with her because they had dated through high school.  _ Highschool sweethearts are supposed to be together forever, right? _ Besides the fact that Haley was the prettiest girl in town, she was one of the few girls his age. The only problem was she recognized that fact, reminding Alex often how lucky he was to be with her.

While thinking, he tossed the gridball up in the air, watching it spiral flawlessly before catching it with such ease. Muscle memory… It was part of what made Alex so good at what he did. He’d always been good with his hands but hadn’t always been so strong. There was a time when he was weak but his dad made him hate weakness…  _ The only legacy that piece of shit ever gave me was a black eye.. _ .

Alex tossed the ball up again and watched it come down but, suddenly noticing Mel watching him from ten feet away, he missed it. The ball tumbled and rolled down the yard, stopping at her feet.

Mel picked it up and gave it a once over before studying Alex with a challenging gaze. He recognized the look in her eyes and smiled.  _ Farmer girl wants to play, huh? _ Adjusting her grip, Mel wound the ball back and let it fly through the air in a perfectly balanced spiral that landed in Alex’s arms. He barely had to move them. 

Impressed with her only slightly, Alex flashed his pearly whites at Mel and raised an eyebrow.  _ Must have been a lucky throw _ . “Pretty good arm, farmer girl,” he said, swaggering over to where she stood.

Now that he was closer, Alex saw that Mel was a little more than a head shorter than he. Her eyes were the clearest and brightest blue he’d ever seen, face patterned with light freckles and pretty red lips. Her overalls were worn, almost soft. She wore a plain green tank top underneath but her sneakers were dirty, barely held together by the threads. _Aside from her scraggly clothes,_ _she’s cute,_ he mused.

Mel stood her ground and smirked. She was clearly not intimidated by the tall, muscled jock with an attitude to match. Cocking her head to the side, she challenged, “Are you making fun of me for being a farmer or for being a girl?” 

Alex raised both eyebrows at Mel’s boldness. She was interesting, he gave her that. “Neither. It was a compliment. Besides,” he replied and tested her further, “I think that was just a lucky toss.”

She sniffed and put her hands on her hips as she stared at the ground a moment. Then, looking him straight in the eye she commanded, “Gimme the ball and go long.” Her outstretched hand seemed so dainty but her palms were calloused with more than what two weeks on a farm would do.

Alex scoffed and started to make up an excuse but granny came up behind them, pulling her gardening gloves off.

“Hello, Mel dear! You’re early but that’s alright,” Evelyn said, stopping between the two. “I see you’ve met my grandson, Alex,” she smiled, motioning them to follow.

“Yes, ma’am. We were just discussing how far we can toss a gridball, granny,” Mel responded, throwing a competitive gaze toward Alex before following Evelyn inside. “I brought some fresh fish for dinner,” she said, holding up her basket full of tilapia.

Evelyn cooed at her, congratulating her on so many fine catches before setting to work. Mel took up a spot on the counter next to Evelyn where she helped to descale the fish and filleted them near perfectly.

Alex watched her hum and work comfortably alongside his granny like she had always belonged there before moving off to his room. He pulled his shirt overhead and tossed it on the bed then changed out his jeans for shorts to start his workout routine.  _ How is it this girl has been in town for two weeks and has her run of  _ MY _ granny?  _ Shaking his head, Alex focused instead on lifting his weights and wondering what to do about Haley.

An hour and a half later, Alex was towel drying off when he heard a knock at his door. He opened it expecting his grandpa George but Mel stood there with raised eyebrows. He’d forgotten she was over for dinner.

Without missing a beat, Mel stared at his face and relayed, “Granny asked me to get you. Dinner’s ready.” 

She didn’t seem to be bothered by Alex standing half naked in front of her and that perplexed him further. Frowning in confusion, he responded, “Yeah. Thanks. I’ll, uh, be right there.”

Turning back down the hall without so much as a glance back, Mel had her hands stuffed in her back pockets as she walked back to the kitchen.

_ Interesting... _ Alex mused as he threw his clothes back on and put on a bit of cologne.

“Your grandpa was the sweetest person, always bringing gifts to everyone from his farm. Every year for our anniversary, he made blueberry wine for George and me. It was just like the wine we had at our wedding so long ago,” Evelyn spoke, fondly recalling tales over dinner.

George wiped his mouth on a napkin and addressed Mel, “You’ve even got his knack for fishing! It’s been ages since we’ve had tilapia this fresh.” He eyed the platter eagerly, reaching for another filet for his plate.

Mel was happy to hear all their stories and was beaming so brightly she practically glowed. “You have no idea how much it means to me hearing... ALL of this,” she gushed before clearing her plate, scraping the last bits of parsnip mash, spinach and fried fish on her fork. She made a happy noise while she chewed the last bite. “My foster family never spoke to me about my biological family. I’m not sure they really knew anyone outside of grandpa, and that’s probably only because of the deed to his old farm,” she continued.

Evelyn smiled sadly and placed her hand on Mel’s, “Well, dear, you’re welcome to come over anytime to talk. Might even have some pictures tucked away in the closet. I’ll look tomorrow and let you know if I find anything.” 

Mel smiled sweetly, “Thank you, granny. Now, you cooked so I’ll clean up,” she turned to Alex, “You gonna help me with the dishes, Alex?”

He had been quietly eating and only paying half attention. Alex had his phone in his lap, texting back and forth trying to calm Haley down. She was on her way home from Pierre’s when she saw Mel enter and was demanding to know  _ ‘what the hell is going on? _ ’.

Grandpa George cleared his throat and nudged Alex with his elbow to get his attention. “Sorry, uh, yeah. I’ll help with the dishes,” he replied, sending one last text.  _ ‘Granny invited her. It’s nothing. Gotta go. Have to wash dishes. _ ’

Alex looked up from his phone to see the three staring at him expectantly. Without a word, he pushed himself to stand and started clearing down the table so Mel followed suit.

“I’ll wash and you rinse. I don’t know how granny stacks her dishes,” Mel instructed, picking up the dishcloth and starting on the plates.

Alex was standing so close to her that their elbows rubbed occasionally but he never once saw her blush or smile coyly at his touch. In fact, she seemed  _ too _ comfortable around him and his grandparents. Haley hated coming over; said she can’t stand the ‘old people smell’. She’s always insisted on Alex coming over to her parent’s house. He used to think it was because her parents were on a year long tour of the world, giving them the privacy they needed to have sex almost every day. Lately, though, he was beginning to feel differently. Haley’s demands on his time felt more like he was a thing, like the only reason they were together anymore was because the sex was convenient.  _ Is that the only reason we’re still together? Do I even love Haley anymore? _

Alex took the handful of silverware Mel held out to him and started rinsing. “So, farmer, what’s your deal?” he asked, trying to keep his mind off his girlfriend.

Mel shrugged nonchalantly, “Not much. Like I said at dinner, my foster family is really great. They live on a huge farm, about twice the size of my grandpa’s farm. They taught me how to be self-sustainable like they are and, now that I’m older, I want to make my own way in life.”

Alex’s phone beeped again, making him tense up involuntarily. Mel nodded towards it, “Has your girlfriend been the one bugging you all night?” 

He looked at her pointedly, taken aback by her bluntness. “Yeah. Haley’s wanting me to come over after dishes,” Alex lied. He didn’t like the way Mel seemed to be able to read his annoyance so easily. He didn’t know her and his relationship wasn’t any of her business anyways.

“No need to get testy. I grew up with four older brothers and two little brothers, remember? Or were you too busy being annoyed to hear that, too?” Mel gave him a disarming smile. She meant it to be harmless teasing but the look on Alex’s face told her he was getting upset. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be rude. It’s none of my business,” she added, clearing her throat and handing him the last of the dishes.

Without another word, Mel dried her hands on the towel and turned to say her goodbyes to granny and George. Alex took his time rinsing to make sure she was gone before turning around. George gave him a look that said,  _ you’re gonna get an earful tonight _ , before wheeling his chair into the living room.

Granny Evelyn had one hand on her hip and the other on the table as she shook her head at him, “Why were you so rude tonight? Bringing your phone to the table instead of welcoming Mel. She just wants to get to know everyone, make some friends. It would do you some good to make friends outside of that Haley. That girl has always rubbed me the wrong way…”

Alex came over and hugged his grandma, “I’m sorry, Granny. Haley went crazy when she saw Mel come over for dinner. I don’t know why she’s so mad when I spend all my free time with her anyway.” He shook his head and looked at his grandmother seeking advice.

Granny’s hard gaze softened, “Alex, honey, you’ve been a couple for three years now but you’ve never been more miserable than we’ve seen you tonight. Might be time to take a break and see what makes you happy again.” She put her wrinkled hand to his cheek, “You do so much for your grandpa and me… you deserve to be happy.”

Alex’s eyes wet and he sniffled. Granny had said what he spent most of the day thinking.  _ Tomorrow. I’ll break it off with Haley tomorrow. _ He kissed his grandma on the top of her head, the scent of daffodils and dirt soothing him. “Thanks, granny. I’ll talk to Haley tomorrow,” he replied before saying goodnight to his grandparents and heading off to bed.

After his shower, he stood next to the dresser with his towel around his waist, thinking about how he was going to word things tomorrow while he looked for a t-shirt to sleep in. His cell lay on the bed beside him and dinged. When he picked it up, Haley had sent several texts while he was showering: 

_ ‘Come over, baby. I’m so lonely.’ _

_ ‘I need you so get the fuck over here!’ _

_ ‘You better not be fucking the new girl or so help me…’ _

_ ‘Sorry, babe. You know I get upset when I get horny…’ _

_ ‘Forget it… I helped myself. Guess you’ll be taking a cold shower tonite.’ _

_ ‘Come over tomorrow and I’ll forgive you. <3’ _

Heaving a deep sigh, Alex silenced his phone and lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. There were really only three words he could think of to properly convey the message that it was over between them, that he was tired of her bullshit. Three words were all he needed and all she would listen to anyway.  _ Fuck you, Haley. _


	2. Learning to Fish Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his breakup with Haley, Alex was just as lost now as he was before moving here. If he wasn’t on a gridball team and he wasn’t ‘Haley’s boyfriend’...who was he?

Haley hounded Alex for days before the texts finally ceased and she started following him around town, begging him to take her back. Granny finally put a stop to it, threatening to tell her parents of the debauchery that had been taking place in their house while they were gone. Haley was rendered speechless at granny’s threat, turning all shades of red before storming off and slamming the door to her house so loud it echoed throughout the square.

A week later, early in the morning, Alex slipped quietly up the mountain for some peace from the prying eyes of the townsfolk. Either they looked at him with pity or with disapproval for causing such a fuss in their quiet town. He didn’t want their pity and certainly didn’t care for their attitude about breaking it off with Haley after three years. They had no idea how demanding their ‘little town sweetheart’ was. She may have most people fooled but Alex was done being her whipping boy.

As Alex neared the tip of the hill, Robin’s house came into view. He shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of his letterman jacket and headed toward the lake, watching his feet and breathing in the cool, moist air. Only a handful of people were known to come out here and they were all ones that kept to themselves so he wasn’t worried about being bothered. 

Alex looked up to find his thinking spot and stood watching the bubbles where fish were having their breakfast. What  _ would _ make him happy? Taking a deep, calming breath, Alex let the morning mist shroud him as he closed his eyes and let his mind wander. 

Grandpa George used to take him fishing when he first moved in with them but had his accident a year later. Needless to say, Alex quit fishing and hadn’t been since. That wouldn’t make him happy.

Granny Evelyn’s cookies always turned any bad day into a good day. She made all kinds but his favorite was her chewy chocolate chip cookies. The thought made him smile.  _ I’ll ask granny to make a batch today. _

Gridball season. It was still months away but it always had him pumped. Maybe this year would be the year he got a spot on the Tunneler’s. Alex had been rejected last year due to his near-failing grades freshman year of college. He had dropped out after that, mostly because he told himself his grandparents needed him but he knew, deep down, that it was his dad’s words that hindered him. His dad had always told him he was worthless and would never amount to anything. Hell of a thing to tell your nine year old kid everyday. The kicker being that Alex was beginning to believe him. After all, what else had he accomplished besides being great at gridball? He told everyone he was going to go pro but the truth was he wasn’t so sure anymore. And now that he’d broken up with Haley, what else was there? He wasn’t on a gridball team and he wasn’t  _ ‘Haley’s boyfriend’ _ , so, who was he?

Alex wiped the tears off his face and sniffled. He was just as lost now as he was before moving here… when his mom died. For some reason, the thought of being alone and without parents made him think of Mel. She didn’t even know who her parents were or why they put her up for adoption. He remembered her telling granny, last week at dinner, that her foster family wanted to adopt her but there were too many complications so they did the best they could to make her as much a part of their family. 

The thing Alex thought was most interesting about Mel was that she was so different from other girls. She was about as opposite of Haley as you could get. Mel was plain and had a natural earthiness about her that made her chill and she was tough. Haley was the by far the prettiest girl in high school and smelled great, both of which Alex found attractive. 

Haley was prim and proper, hating anything that would mess up her makeup or nails but Mel never wore makeup and was always dirty. She wasn’t afraid to be herself.  _ Mel’s competitive like me. I saw it in her eyes. _ He liked the way she challenged his gaze and how she didn’t seem to be intimidated by him, either. 

Alex was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps crunching on dirt and a light ‘ahem’. When he opened his eyes, Mel stood there with her backpack, basket, fishing pole and a friendly smile.

“How is going, gridball boy?” she asked with a cheeky grin. She had noticed how difficult Alex had been struggling with his breakup. Part of her wanted to cheer him up because he didn’t seem to have any other friends and partly because he reminded her of her brothers. 

Glad that she wasn’t pitying him like most people right off, Alex gave her a weak grin, “It’s going, farmer girl.” 

He waited to see if Mel was going to say something else but she didn’t. Instead, she gave Alex a curt nod and plopped down on the ground at his feet and baited the hook.

Perplexed that Mel chose this spot at the lake to fish when she had practically the whole thing to herself, Alex shook his head and scoffed, “Why are you fishing?”  _ Wait, that came out wrong _ , he thought. 

Before Alex could rephrase, Mel simply answered, “Because it’s fun… and I need the protein. Can’t keep my muscle mass up on a steady diet of vegetables.” She stared ahead, barely noticing the annoyance on Alex’s face start to melt. 

_ Is this girl for real?  _ Alex wondered to himself. “Well, I guess I better leave you to it, then,” he answered before turning to leave.

“You can stay,” Mel said simply, it sounded the slightest bit like a plea more than the statement she meant. 

Alex paused for a moment to consider, “Naw, I’m good. See ya, farmer girl,” but continued toward Robin’s house.

Mel was about to say goodbye when there was a sharp tug in her line. It caught her by surprise and she let out a yelp, jumping up to her feet for better leverage. 

When Alex heard her, his adrenaline started pumping and he quickly made his way back to see what was on the other end of the line. Whatever kind of fish it was, it was giving Mel a good go. He walked over to watch her expertly pull and lead, winding the reel and grunting with effort, her brows set in a super focused frown. It took her a solid five minutes before the fish tired enough to be reeled in but Mel looked exhilarated from the effort rather than tired. When she finally lifted the fish out of the lake, a sizable largemouth bass wriggled weakly at the end of her line. 

“I’ll eat well tonight,” Mel said, grinning at Alex proudly. She quickly got a rope out of her backpack that had a large needle and strung her fish, securing it to the nearby fence. Standing up, Mel turned to Alex and held out her fishing rod, “Wanna have a go? They’re biting good today.”

Even through the pockets of his jacket, Alex felt his fingers itching to throw in a line. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he thought and finally reached for the pole. “Sure. Thanks, farmer girl. Bet I can catch one twice the size as yours,” he challenged with a smirk. 

Mel gave him the look he was seeking and put her hands on her hips, “You’re welcome to try, gridball boy. I’d be impressed if you could catch one even slightly larger.”

“Let’s make a bet,” Alex found himself saying. This was fun, he had to admit, and it made him smile even bigger. “If I catch a bigger fish, you have to come to dinner tonight and tell grandpa George that I’m a better fisherman,” he continued.

“Fisher _ person _ or angler,” Mel corrected, crossing her arms to add, “And if I have the bigger fish, you have to come help me on the farm for a day.” She was sure he could handle himself; it was starting to get lonely working the farm by herself. 

Alex rubbed his chin and slowly nodded, “Alright. You’re on.” 

He baited the hook the way his grandpa showed him many years ago and cast it out. The worm entered the water with a ‘ploop’ and sank. Casting a glance back to make sure Mel was watching, she smirked and came up next to him.

It wasn’t long before Alex got a bite and was tugging at the line, reeling it in slowly and leading it back out. He was having a little trouble at first but quickly found his groove and had the fish dangling at the end of the line in a matter of minutes. 

“Get yours and we’ll compare,” Alex commanded Mel excitedly. He felt a pang in his chest at the fact that it took the new farmer to remind him how much he enjoyed fishing but he kept smiling. 

When Mel pulled up her fish and held it up next to Alex’s, his smile only dropped a little. Clearly, Mel’s bass was the largest of the two but not by much. 

“It’s a good size, gridball boy, but  _ just _ smaller. You’re gonna like working on the farm, I think,” Mel jabbed, a triumphant grin spread across her freckled face as she packed up for the afternoon.

Alex shook his head, “A deal’s a deal but I’m taking my fish home.” He unhooked it and held it by the mouth, forgetting what to do next.

Mel shook her head, “Here. Take both and my little cooler.” She pulled it out of her pack and put her bass in, holding it up for Alex to do the same.

After putting his fish inside, he shook his head, “Only if you come over for dinner. Granny would skin my hide if I told her you gave up your dinner. Besides, there’s enough for four, that is, if you want.”

Mel smiled warmly at Alex and he felt his heart pump a little faster. “Alright. We can’t upset granny, can we?” Her grin turned lopsided as she thought about how much the Mullner’s house felt like home. 

Later that evening...

“Of course, don’t tell Willy I said that!” George finished with a chuckle, regaling his old fishing stories. Alex had heard most of them when he was younger but hearing them again and seeing the spark back in his grandpa’s eyes made him happy.

“Well, did you two catch it or what?!” Mel asked anxiously, sitting on the edge of her seat with eyes wide in glee.

George’s face dropped a little for drama and he lowered his voice, “I reckon he’s still out there today… waiting for a worthy angler to put up a good fight…” He looked at Alex and then to Mel before sitting back and raising his hands before letting them fall back in his lap with a chuckle, “Or The Legend could be dead at this point. Guess that’s why they call him ‘ _ The Legend’. _ ” 

Mel sat back in her chair with a look of wonderment on her face. “I’m gonna need a better rod and reel…” she said quietly. 

Alex scoffed and shook his head, “And a few months training. Your small frame won’t be able to pull a fish like The Legend outta the lake.” He had meant it as a statement but the look on Mel’s face told him she took that as a challenge.

“In other words, you’re saying it takes a big, strong  _ guy _ to pull this bad boy out of the lake, huh?” Mel challenged with an intensity in her eyes that took him aback.

“That’s not what I meant, farmer, and you know it. You’ve proven me wrong in the past,” Alex retorted, not meaning to add that last part but it was out. He tried to lessen the intensity of his own his gaze but the way Mel’s jaw worked brought out the competitive streak in him and he couldn’t back down, especially not after admitting he was wrong about her once.

Everyone around the table was quiet, unsure of what to do with the electric energy in the air. Finally, granny stood up and cleared her throat, “Cookies should be about ready to take out. George, your program will be on in a few minutes. I’ll bring you a plate and some milk.”

Mel didn’t break her stare but she cooled off a bit and smiled bitterly, “I apologize. Being the only girl in a family with a lot of big brothers, a family you barely belong to makes you… guarded.” In the blink of an eye, her mood went from fight-mode to chill. 

Alex sat back and took a slow breath, “It’s alright. I shouldn’t have overstepped.” He slowly shook his head and smiled weakly, “I’d like to think we can be friends but I’m not usually this comfortable around new people.”

Mel’s smile went to her eyes, “And I’m not used to being complimented without a tease coming behind it.” She lowered her eyes to watch her hands as she played with her thumbs, “I love my foster family, I really do, but my brothers could be tough. I guess it’s because of who they are... that they wanted me to be able to take care of myself but it was  _ hard _ .”  _ Where is all of this coming from?  _

Alex nodded, “I get it. So… friends?” His smile was nice, warming Mel’s core.

“Friends,” Mel simply responded, a smile of her own curling up on her face. 


	3. Farmer Alex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex helps Mel on the farm as promised and finds he really enjoys it. Meanwhile, Sam starts flirting with Mel.

True to his word, Alex came over to the farm to help her for a day… and the day after that for the rest of the week. Alex found a peacefulness to the plowing, weeding, picking and cleaning out the coop. It felt like honest work, like what his grandpa George always explained to him.  _ I can maybe help Mel with her farm until gridball tryouts and we’ll see what happens... _

“Wanna go fishing tomorrow?” Mel asked as they put their tools in the shed, bringing Alex out of his thoughts. “Rainy days are a perfect time to get catfish,” she added, hoping to entice her new fishing buddy.

The sun was barely peeking out behind the dark clouds that had rolled in overnight. If granny Evelyn’s prediction was right, it was going to rain all day tomorrow. She really didn’t want to spend the day in the mines, which is what she should do given the fact she needed the ore. Staying at home, alone, was definitely not an option either. 

Alex stacked the last of the logs neatly next to the shed before standing to stretch. “Sure. I’m not doing anything tomorrow. You know granny will want you to stay for dinner, right?” he asked with a grin, catching Mel in a knowing nod, her pink lips pursed slightly and brought to a small smile.

He hadn’t thought of Haley much all week since hanging with Mel and liked the fact that Mel never pressured him into anything, just treated him like normal people. He actually felt comfortable around her and could be himself… whoever that was; he was still trying to figure that out.

“Hey. Thanks for your company this week, Alex,” Mel said as she scratched an itch on her face. A piece of mud that was stuck to her glove came off on her cheek. “I love working on the farm but it was getting lonely. I’m used to having two or three of my brothers helping out so I guess I’m starting to miss home a bit.” She gave a nervous giggle, threw her gloves on the porch and put her hands in her back pockets.

Alex was surprised at Mel’s candidness but shifted his weight to lean against the porch. “No problem. I guess I should thank you, too. It’s kept my mind off of… things… lately,” he replied with a half-grin.

The mud on her cheek was distracting from how serious the conversation had become so, without thinking, he took his gloves off and wiped it off. “You had a piece of mud there, sorry,” Alex explained, suddenly aware that Mel had gone stiff at his touch and her cheeks had a touch of pink to them.

Mel tried to play it off but the pounding in her chest was so loud it muffled her hearing and she said a little too quickly, “That’s fine, thanks!”  _ Don’t be weird… y’all are just friends. _

Clearing her throat, Mel was able to regain composure, “Anyway! Let’s wash up and get some water. Today is foraging day and I’m hoping to get a basket full of salmonberries to try making jelly tonight.” Mel laughed off the nervousness, causing Alex to chuckle, relaxing as well. 

Without another word, the two made their way inside. Mel washed up in her bathroom while Alex washed up at the tiny kitchen sink. Everything about Mel’s house was small, almost as if the house was made for children. It was comical how Alex’s head only had three inches clearance from the ceiling and he had to crouch slightly to get in the door. Despite the cramped space, Mel kept everything tidy and clean. 

On the narrow windowsill above the sink, Alex noticed the candles didn’t have a label but were nearly brand new. When he picked it up to examine it further, the scent of apple cinnamon wafted from the surface. 

“Mama Crane taught me candle making,” Mel spoke as she came over to stand with Alex. She picked one of the others up and sniffed it. 

Alex watched Mel’s face as she breathed in the scent, closing her eyes with a comforted grin. “What does that one smell like?” he asked with a goofy grin.

Mel opened her eyes and widened her grin, “Strawberries and Cream. This is the last one from home. I can’t wait to grow my own strawberries and make more.”

“Cool. Granny would like this one,” Alex told her, putting the Apple Cinnamon candle back in the windowsill.

“Here,” Mel said, stooping down to open her cabinet. She pulled out another jar from under the sink and handed it to him, “I have another one. Besides, your Granny and Grandpa George have been so kind to me. The more we talk the more connected I feel to my birth family and like I finally belong someplace. Like I belong  _ here _ .”

Alex looked at Mel and took the jar from her hands with both of his slowly. The little time he had been spending with Mel and the gifts she showered his family with were becoming more precious. At that moment, Alex felt the urge to wrap his arms around her in a big hug but he stopped himself. He wanted to tell Mel that she was always welcome at their house, that he knew what it was like to not have your parents around and to lose that sense of connectivity. Alex didn’t want to make their new friendship weird because, Yoba knows, he needed someone to talk to.

Instead, Alex gave her a lopsided grin, “Thanks a lot, Mel. I’ll be sure to let granny know you made it.” He gave her a quick pat on the back and started toward the door. Then, just before stepping out, he turned back to say, “See you tomorrow.” 

Mel waved goodbye to Alex as she watched him jog away. She was surprised at how much she shared with him today but was glad to have someone her age to talk to and hang out with. As she went back inside, she glanced in the mirror again where Alex had touched her cheek and blushed.  _ He called me Mel instead of ‘farmer girl’.  _ She shook her head to remove any unhealthy thoughts that crept up in her mind. Mel couldn’t afford to make things awkward with Alex. She needed the company of a friend and he was easy to talk to. 

Yesterday, the community board had an announcement. Jodi was needing a parsnip so Mel grabbed one from her harvest, put a few on the counter for dinner and the rest went in the shipping box. Grabbing her basket, Mel headed out to forage in the forest on the way finding quite a few salmonberries on the way. 

Mel made her way past Marnie’s ranch and spotted Sam out in front on his skateboard. She couldn’t help but smile watching him try a kickflip. Sam failed the first two tries but by the third, he landed it with a huge grin. Mel sat her basket down and started clapping, smiling encouragingly. 

“That was awesome! You’re so cool. I could never do anything like that,” she said sheepishly as Sam rode his way over.

Landing another kickflip before he got to her, Sam stopped just short of where Mel stood and popped his skateboard up to hold up against his leg. He wiggled his eyebrows playfully at her, eliciting a giggle that made his smile even bigger. 

“I didn’t know I was gonna have an audience or I woulda tried harder,” Sam said, his spiky blonde hair and incredible, deep blue eyes glittering in the afternoon light. He took notice that the top of Mel’s head came up to his chin. The thought of being able to plant perfect little kisses on her forehead made him blush as a smile spread across his face. 

Mel was caught up in the sunshine that Sam always seemed to emit and froze. She opened her mouth to say something but started blushing furiously under his blue-eyed stare. Sam knew what he was doing, flirting with Mel. She was cute and always a hundred percent real. Sam liked that. He couldn’t help the harmless teasing, especially since her freckles darkened slightly with her blushing cheeks. 

“Well, you looked fine to me,” Mel blurted out, making her face turn a brighter shade of red and Sam’s smile grow. Letting out a nervous laugh, she then cleared her throat and smiled sweetly, “Actually, I brought the parsnip your mom asked for.”

Sam and Mel both leaned down for her basket at the same time, bumping foreheads. Mel came up with a mortified look on her face and when Sam stood with her basket in hand, he had a small, red, round spot on his forehead.

“Sorry, I was just trying to help,” Sam replied quickly, “Are you alright?” He tentatively placed a hand on Mel’s arm, noticing the red dot on her own forehead.

“I’m alright but you don’t need to apologize. I should be the one saying sorry,” Mel answered softly.  _ He’s really sweet _ , she thought as she smiled in reassurance, “I’m not used to having cute guys help me with my basket.”  _ Yoba, that was cheesy! What am I saying?  _ Mel groaned internally and was about to slink away when Sam let out a cute chuckle that made her worries melt away.

“It’s alright. I like helping cute farmers with their baskets. C’mon. Mom’s inside. I’ll walk you in,” Sam replied while Mel processed what he said. 

“Mm-kay,” she replied, following behind him worrying the ends of the braid that had made its way over her shoulder.

Sam opened the door for Mel and they popped inside. It was a cozy space and absolutely spotless. Mel was suddenly aware of just how much dirt she was still caked in as she stood on the doorstep. 

“Hey, mom. Mel’s here with the parsnip you asked for!” Sam called to the kitchen and flashed Mel a toothy grin. “You wanna come see my room before you go? I wanna show you my guitar.”

The perpetual smile on Mel’s face while in Sam’s presence didn’t cease, “Sure. I didn’t know you played guitar!” 

Jodi came in from the kitchen and smiled warmly at the two, “Mel! Thank you for bringing the parsnip. It’s beautiful. Here’s what I owe you.” She placed the money in Mel’s basket and noticed the look on Sam’s face, adding, “Do you have plans for dinner tonight? Perhaps you would like to join us?”

For a brief moment, Sam’s cool guy persona fell at the thought of having the girl he liked over for dinner. Mel took notice and smiled sweetly, “I couldn’t possibly intrude. Besides, I didn’t bring anything to contribute to dinner.” 

“Sure you did! You provided the parsnip for the stew!” Jodi argued, clearly trying her best to get her to stay. 

Mel gave her a weak grin, “But... you paid me for it so that doesn’t count. Maybe I can take a raincheck? Would Sunday be okay? I’ll have made my first batch of salmonberry jelly by then.” She held up her basket and listened to Jodi sigh in defeat. 

“Alright, dear. I’ve got to get to work on this stew now but we’ll see you Sunday for dinner. Be here at seven sharp,” Jodi responded and cast a friendly grin before returning to the kitchen. Just before she entered, she stopped and turned back to Mel, “Evelyn and George have been raving about the fresh fish you’ve been giving them. Would it be possible to bring a largemouth bass for dinner Sunday?”

Mel couldn’t help but feel her chest swell, “I’d be happy to! Thank you, Mrs. Hooper.” 

Sam let out his breath slowly, “So, you still wanna see my guitar?” 

Mel sat her basket on the floor next to the door and nodded with a smile. Pulling both braids to the front, she smoothed them and followed Sam down a short hallway. 

Once inside his bedroom, Sam closed the door and turned to face Mel. “Sorry about mom being so weird. I don’t remember her ever trying so hard to get Abigail over for dinner,” he apologized. 

Mel chuckled, “It’s alright, really. I like visiting everyone.” Feeling warm and slightly light-headed at Sam being so close, she looked around and saw his guitar propped up on its stand and smiled, “Is that it? Your guitar, I mean.”

Sam smiled, “Yeah.” He bounded over to it and plugged it into his amp. Strumming each string to check the tuning, he gave Mel a half-grin, “Wanna hear me play?”

The way Mel’s eyes lit up was exactly the reaction he was hoping to get. Sam played a short riff off one of the songs he had been playing around with the past week, hoping to get some direction from a fresh set of ears. Mel came over to his bed and sat next to him as he played, tapping her foot as she listened.

“This is something I’ve been working on but it’s not finished yet,” Sam said as he experimented with a few more chords and played around with the distortion. “Sebastian and I started a band last summer but we still need a drummer and a few more songs,” he added, casting a glance over at Mel. She was watching his hand strum the strings.

“Cool. Well, so far I like what you’ve played,” she replied openly before asking, “How long have you been playing?”

Sam turned toward Mel, bringing his knee up on the bed between them and laid the guitar across his lap. “A couple of years. My dad got it for me before he left for the war,” he replied quietly but his smile only wavered a moment, “What kind of music do you like, Mel?”

The Crane’s were a country music family but she never really liked it so much. “Don’t laugh, but my favorite music is experimental electronic and synth-pop. My brothers always teased me about it so I quit listening to it for a while,” Mel answered bashfully, expecting Sam to poke fun at her choice of music but he didn’t. Instead, he resumed his normal, happy glow.

“No kidding?! I love synth-wave,” Sam said enthusiastically, “Actually, most of the songs I’ve written with Seb are electronica. He’s a whiz with the equalizer and has mad keyboard skills.” 

“That is so cool. I’d love to hear you guys in concert one day,” Mel said, looking at the clock on Sam’s nightstand. She needed to get going before Jodi finished with dinner or else the jellies wouldn’t get made. 

Mel popped up off the bed before Sam could reply and smiled, “Thanks for letting me hear your music and hang with you awhile but I really need to get back home.”

“Hey, anytime,” Sam replied as he stood to walk her out, “I’ve been meaning to ask, is Mel short for something else or is that your actual name?”

Standing next to the door, Mel reached for her basket and looked up at the ceiling. Biting her bottom lip she whispered, “Well, don’t tell anyone, but Mel is short for Melody. I just think it’s a silly name so I stick with Mel.”

Sam’s eyes softened as he reached for the door. Before opening it, he leaned in close and whispered, “I think Melody is a cool name but your secret is safe with me.” 

Mel couldn’t help but giggle, “Thanks. See you Sunday, Sam.” 

“See you Sunday,  _ Mel _ ,” Sam replied with a wink that made her blush furiously. 

She gave a small wave and headed back to the farm, swinging her basket full of salmonberries. 

Alex stepped out of Haley’s house just as Sam’s door shut. He’d waited on Mel to leave before he left for home, slightly embarrassed at the fact that he had gone to visit his ex. He shouldn’t feel this way but after all Mel had done to keep his mind off Haley and the breakup, it felt like a type of betrayal. 

Glancing toward the forest, Alex spotted Mel almost skipping home as she swung her loaded basket. _Sure, she’s your friend but she’s not entitled to know everything._ _Besides, she’s busy flirting with Sammy the Sunshine boy._ That fact seemed to ruffle his feathers a bit but, again, none of his business. 

_ Why do I care so much about what Mel thinks or does?  _ Alex thought as he made his way home. By the time he made it to his front door, he had the answer to that question:  _ Mel is the only friend I have and she makes me happy. _


	4. Legends and Magic Hugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Mel find that fishing helps them both cope with their muddled pasts but hugs make a lot better. Mel fights her crush on Alex and he continues to miss Haley.

Mel was sticking her tongue out in deep concentration as she fought with the monster at the end of her line. Alex had been watching them in an intense game of back and forth for a good eight minutes instead of paying attention to his own pole. He’d probably missed a few bites but that wasn’t the point of being out here. Hanging with Mel, the only person in town his age that he felt completely comfortable with, was why he was here. Catching dinner was second to that.

The sweat on Mel’s brow was hidden by the droplets of rain that had fallen steadily since they trudged out here in the mud. Every time she leaned back to get purchase on reeling the catfish in, the rain would pelt her face despite having the hood of her green rain slicker pulled up. 

_ Haley would never come out fishing with me. Not even to watch _ , Alex thought as his mind wandered to his ex. Yesterday, on his way home from the farm, Haley called him. At first Alex didn’t want to answer but he realized they would have to speak eventually. Haley said she simply wanted to talk and asked him over so he went. At first, they sat on opposite couches while staring at the floor until Haley broke the silence.

“Alex, I’m sorry I was so… demanding… but I really miss you and I want to know,” Haley started, inching toward the edge of her couch so their feet were touching. She placed a perfectly manicured hand gingerly on his knee and asked, “What can I do to get you back?”

Mel yelled out suddenly when her line snapped, bringing Alex out of his thoughts. “Shit! The damn thing got away!” she complained, her face almost pouty as she shook out the stiffness in her arms.

“Here,” Alex started reeling his line in, “You can use mine while I get you some new line.”

Mel shook her head, “As much as I want to catch that fish, my arms need to rest. You should give it a try while it’s tired. At this point, I don’t care who catches it… it’s us against that damned catfish.” 

The competitive determination on her face made Alex grin. Plus, he’d never heard Mel curse before and it was kinda cute…  _ in a purely platonic way, of course _ … “Right,” Alex affirmed, quickly putting fresh bait onto his hook. 

They took a moment to determine where the fish could be and he quickly cast his line. Mel pulled her hood down around her face as she watched Alex’s line start bobbing. Soon the chase began and Alex was putting up a good fight. It still took him what felt like ages to reel it in but when he finally did, Mel let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

Alex barely had the fish out of the water when Mel jumped up and down in a victory dance that ended with her arms tight around his waist. He wasn’t expecting her to hug him and nearly dropped the pole but managed to keep the fish from falling back into the lake. 

Embarrassed, Mel quickly let go and stood up straight, clapping Alex on the back. “Sorry. Got carried away, heh,” she apologized shyly before quickly recovering, “Great job reeling that monster in! He’s gotta be a good two footer, huh?”

With a lopsided grin and his eyebrows cocked, Alex looked at the blushing farmer, “Yeah, two footer for sure… maybe even three. Either way, it should feed us all tonight.” He watched Mel eye the catfish proudly and felt his stomach twist. If he and Haley got back together, he wouldn’t be able to spend much time with his new friend. If Mel starts hanging with Sam more, that’s gonna cut into their time, too. The thought made Alex’s eye twitch so he shut it down and focused on fishing. 

“We should probably catch a few smaller fish,” Mel said suddenly, “I don’t know about you but I could eat a whole catfish by myself after this workout!” The laughter coming from her was melodious until she let out a little snort. Her hands shot up to her mouth quickly and her eyes went wide. She was sure her face had never reached that level of red from the heat that radiated from underneath her hood.

Alex couldn’t help but let out a belly laugh. Mel’s face was so red with her green rain slicker pulled so tight around her face, she looked like a watermelon. 

Angry because she thought Alex was laughing at her snort, Mel was about to speak up when she saw tears rolling down Alex’s face.  _ Why is he being so mean?  _ She thought as tears started welling up in her eyes.

“You... you look like a watermelon!” Alex managed to get out but he realized he was too late. Mel was clearly upset and he suddenly didn’t know what to do. She always acted tough but he had made her cry. Alex did the first thing that came to mind and wrapped Mel in one of his big bear hugs. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be mean,” he said soothingly.  _ Well, this is new… _ he thought when the hug warmed him as well.

Mel snuggled into him, breathing in whatever body wash or cologne he wore.  _ He gives good hugs... _ she thought before she sniffled and started to chuckle, “It’s alright. I’m used to it… I mean, being teased.” She gave him a last little squeeze around his middle before stepping back, “I thought that, once I was out here on my own I’d toughen up a bit but I guess I’m still Mel, the big softie.” Her chuckle at the end wasn’t exactly a happy one but it diffused the tension somewhat.

In the back of Alex’s mind, his father’s words tormented him… ‘ _ Don’t be a pussy, boy! Your momma coddled you too much and now you’re soft. Show me you’re not weak! Show me you want to be a real man like me…’ _ He steeled himself, quieting the voices and letting his heart speak for him.

Alex rested one arm on Mel’s shoulder, “You  _ are _ tough, Mel. But it’s okay to be soft, too. Who says you can’t be both, huh?” When she smiled weakly up at him and nodded, he felt like she believed part of what he said, even if he didn’t understand his own words.  _ I sound like my granny... _

“I guess so. Let’s just forget this and get back to fishing. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was hungry,” Mel added with a grin and wiped her nose. 

Just to make sure, Alex looked her square in the eyes and asked, “We’re good, right?” The thought of damaging or even losing her friendship terrified him for some reason. All the changes that he had been going through this past week, the good and positive things that were helping him clear the path toward the person he was, happened because of his friendship with Mel. 

Mel smiled warmly up at him, “Yeah, we’re good.”  _ Alex is not like my brothers at all. He’s tough and armored but with a gentleness about him. I’m glad we’re friends but I wish… _

They spent the rest of the afternoon wrestling fish and throwing some back in. When they got as many as Alex knew Granny would be willing to cook, Mel packed up the tackle box while Alex put the fish in the cooler. By the time they got to the Mullner’s house, the two friends were soaked to the bone despite their rain slickers.

“Oh, Mel! Your poor lips have turned blue!” Granny exclaimed when she met them at the door with towels. 

Teeth chattering, Mel shot her a goofy grin, “I’ll be alright in a while. Just gotta get some of this water off.” 

While Alex dried off, Evelyn eyed both of them, considering what could be done so Mel wouldn’t end up with pneumonia. “Alex, you and Mel out some dry clothes on and I’ll get you both a hot cup of tea,” she said finally, hurrying to the kitchen to put on a kettle.

“But, granny, I didn’t bring any clothes,” Mel replied but Alex tapped her arm and nodded his head toward the hallway. 

“C’mon. I’m sure I have an old t-shirt and sweats that might fit. Granny kept all my old clothes,” Alex told her with a grin and half an eye roll. 

They headed to the closet at the end of the hall where Alex draped his towel around Mel’s neck. Looking through a box, he found what he was looking for and held up the sweats and tee to make sure they’d fit. 

“See? Here, you can use my room and I’ll change afterwards,” Alex said, holding the clothes out for Mel. 

“Thanks,” she replied nervously, taking them and heading to Alex’s room. 

She’d never been in here and wanted to look around but her teeth were beginning to hurt from chattering so much. Quickly, she peeled off the wet clothes, goosebumps covering her body. She tried to pat the damp underclothes with a towel but it was useless. The sweat pants fit her perfectly but the tee was a little large. Both were warm and comfy, though a bit musty. 

When Mel opened the door, Alex looked up from his phone and grinned. He had a boyishness when he grinned like that she found attractive.  _ We’re just friends,  _ she reminded herself,  _ he and Haley broke up too recently to even try anyway.  _

“Don’t you dare laugh,” Mel warned, but couldn’t keep the smile from her own face. 

“I wouldn’t. I’m just glad to see they’re good for more than moth food,” he replied, heading to his room. 

Mel stuck her tongue out at him and headed down the hall to put her clothes with her things before heading to the kitchen. “Hey, granny? Where do I put the wet towels?” she asked. 

Granny smiled and looked up from the fish she was filetting, “Just put them in the bathroom hamper. I’ll wash them tonight.”

Mel headed back down the hall, passing Alex’s room on the way. He’d left his door open and was lifting weights. She slowed at seeing his bare skin and blushed. He had more muscles than she’d ever seen and was quite literally a work of art.  _ Slow your hormones… we just went over this! _

Before Alex could notice her gawking, Mel hurried to the bathroom and placed the towels in the hamper. She made her way back down the hall, stealing a quick glance as he was putting on a shirt and hurried into the kitchen. Once she was safely seated at the dining table, granny set the hot tea and some honey in front of her. The scent of chamomile helped to calm her erratic, beating heart. 

“Thanks, granny,” Mel said, stirring a little honey into her tea before putting the cup to her lips and blowing gently. She was glad for the timing because when Alex walked in, her cheeks turned rosy again.  _ He’s not interested, girl. Besides, Sam was kinda flirty yesterday. _

Alex sat next to Mel and tested his tea before putting it all back with an ‘ahh!’. When Mel raised an eyebrow at him, he just chuckled and said, “What?”

Rolling her eyes, Mel went back to her tea, her thoughts drifting back to a certain, handsome blonde guitarist. It felt nice having a cute guy flirt with her, especially since her crush on Alex was clearly not going anywhere, which was fine. He needed time to heal after a three-year long relationship. 

“Whatcha thinkin’ ’bout?” Alex asked, arm draped over the back of his chair as he leaned back. 

“Just… stuff,” Mel responded nonchalantly. She sipped her tea innocently, knowing from experience that you don’t talk about your crushes with any guy. “Are you gonna help on the farm any this next week? Unless you’re busy, of course,” she added, trying to change the subject. 

“Sure. I actually enjoy the work,” Alex replied with a smile, “Keeps my mind off of unhealthy things.”

When he said ‘unhealthy things’, he meant Haley and the urges he was having, being used to a certain amount of extracurricular activity. He didn’t think about his trash dad or his dead mom when he was working on the farm either. When he was helping Mel, all he knew was he was happy and that was good enough. 


	5. The Egg Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the Egg Festival but Mel is having a bad day already when Haley makes it worse. Thankfully, the sunshine boy, Sam, is there to help lift her spirits.

The Egg Festival snuck up on Mel and she found herself farther behind that morning than she’d expected. If only it had rained last night or someone could help her water the massive garden she had stupidly planted.  _ This would have made sense with four or seven people tending it... it’s too much for just me… _ Alex’s help a few weeks ago had showcased just how much over her head she was but she couldn’t ask him to keep coming over. 

Mel hung her head in defeat and stood up. “The rest will just have to wait,” she said aloud, affirming what she already knew. 

With a sigh, she dropped the watering can off next to the spigot and jogged to town. She needed sprinklers. That was the only way to maintain her humongous garden. To make sprinklers required metal. Metal meant delving into the mines but the dark, dank caves frightened her.  _ You’re going to have to go mining sooner or later, just pick a rainy day… _

The sound of music and people chatting excitedly came abruptly as Mel rounded the last curve. By the time she spotted Shane at Pierre’s booth, Mayor Lewis was flying over as soon as she came into his field of vision. He must have been watching for her because the children seemed to be impatient waiting for the Egg Hunt to begin.

“Farmer Mel! There you are!” Lewis greeted her with an anxious smile, “Come on and grab a basket, the egg hunt is about to begin!”

Before Mel could protest, she was whisked to the center of the square by the Mayor. Marnie thrust a basket in her hand as she passed by, shooting her an apologetic smile. Usually, Mel would be happy to egg hunt, but today had her in a mood. Rather than dwell on how difficult her morning had been, she took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand, waiting on the Mayor’s whistle. 

Poised with said whistle in hand, Mayor Lewis raised his other hand and announced loudly, “Let the egg hunt begin!” The whistle sounded as his hand came down to signal the start and all the participants shot off in several directions. 

Mel was quick to spot a few off toward Emily’s house and in Sam’s backyard. She tried to stay as far away from the little kids as possible, not wanting to spoil their fun and kept to the river and graveyard. 

When the whistle blew again, everyone headed back to the center. Adrenaline pumped through her like a freight train, making her head pulse.  _ Great, a headache to boot… I watered most of my plants but forgot to water myself. _

Mel stood in between Abigail and Jas as the Mayor counted the eggs in each person’s basket. Someone off to the side snickered, catching her attention. Alex stood next to Haley, who’s wry smile made him frown. She was staring at Mel with a look of disgust on her face. Mel had seen that look before, it was the same look the girls in high school gave her until she asked the Crane’s to let her finish her senior year at home. 

Mel put on her  _ ‘I don’t even acknowledge you’ _ face and chanced a look at Alex. He was staring hard at the ground but looked up long enough to lock eyes with Mel for a second before ducking out of the crowd. She saw a mix of pity, anger and confusion which only made her angry. She was a grown woman and needed no one's pity. 

When Mayor Lewis finished counting , he called out the winner, “Farmer Mel with twelve eggs!” He came over and placed a straw hat on her head with a proud grin, “Just think, if I could just get you kids to clean up the town square as fast as you found those eggs!”

Abigail came over and patted Mel on the shoulder, “Congratulations. I usually win so it’s good to finally have some competition.” The violet-haired girl smiled at her, “You should come hang with me and the boys Friday nights at the Saloon. It’ll be nice to have another girl around.”

Mel’s sour mood softened slightly at the invitation. Honestly, she’d been so busy with the farm, making deliveries and talking with granny Evelyn that she hadn’t spent much time with anyone her age other than Alex and then dinner at Sam’s. 

“Sure! I’d like that,” Mel said with a chuckle, “What do you do at the Saloon?”

Abi just grinned as the boys walked up, “Sam and Sebastian, meet the new farmer, Mel. I’ve invited her to hang with us Friday night.”

Sebastian threw up a low-hanging hand in a small wave and pulled a drag off his cigarette with another. The trail of smoke he left behind dissipated quickly with a light breeze. He reminded her of a character in a film noir dressed in all black, pale skin and granite gray eyes. 

Sam, however, was the complete opposite. He practically glowed and Mel found herself warming under his blue-eyed gaze and friendly smile.  _ He is so good-looking _ , she thought to herself as he came to stand on the other side of Mel. 

“Mel and I have met,” Sam said, raising his eyebrows at Abigail playfully before realizing this could be misconstrued as something else. “Mom invited her over for dinner last Sunday,” he added quickly and feigned a light, playful punch on Mel’s shoulder. 

Abigail’s crooked grin turned up into a smile, “Really? And you didn’t bother telling your two best friends that.” She crossed her arms and pretended to be offended. 

Sam’s cheeks pinked slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulders. With a goofy grin, he replied, “You know how forgetful I can be, Abs.”

Mel listened to a few of their stories from Egg Festivals past before excusing herself. Her head had a persistent, dull ache that wasn’t going away until she had something to eat and drink. 

Alex was tucked into a corner hiding from Haley while he watched Mel head over to the food tables. He felt bad for the way Haley treated her; like Mel was some poor, peasant girl that was aiming well above her station by befriending him. Haley said she wanted him back but listening to her berate Mel like that made him angry. Worse than that, not sticking up for Mel made his stomach sick. 

“Hey, Mel,” Alex said, coming up behind her with his hands in his jacket pockets.

Mel didn’t turn around as she piled food into her plate. “Alex,” she simply responded. Her nose started burning as tears threatened to well up.  _ Friends are supposed to stick up for each other. _

Alex’s stomach dropped further at the cold response from his usually bubbly friend.  _ Haley is toxic. Why was I even entertaining the idea of getting back together with her? _ he thought, wrestling with the words he wanted to say to fix things with Mel.

“I’m sorry about Haley,” Alex began but stopped when Mel went still. 

She turned slowly to face him, the look of utter betrayal in her eyes sent his heart down to the pit of his stomach. “So now you’re apologizing for her? I thought we were friends, Alex. I trusted you, shared some of my fears and feelings that I don’t tell just anybody,” Mel replied, shakily.  _ I will NOT be weak _ … Alex saw her jaw set as she stood up straight, “Nevermind. I don’t know you. Enjoy the festival.” And she was gone. 

Alex stood and stared with his jaw agape, wondering what the hell happened. Had he just lost his only friend because he was so careless or because he was selfish?  _ Haley and I may not be together anymore but I miss the sex _ , he admitted to himself,  _ is that worth losing Mel over? _

Wiping his face, Alex shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and went home with the intent of going out to the farm tomorrow. Hopefully by then he’ll have a decent apology and Mel will give their friendship another chance.

Mel sat at a bench alone with her food and empty cup, having downed the drink in one go. Her mouth was sticky from dehydration and the threat of tears so she focused on her plate, intent on being invisible. She wasn’t sure if she was so upset at Alex for making a lame excuse about Haley or if it was because she was hungry.  _ It’s probably a combination… I’ll go apologize tomorrow.  _

Sniffling, Mel was almost finished eating when Sam came wandering over. “Heya, Mel. Mind if I sit?” he asked, gesturing to the empty space next to her. 

When Mel nodded ‘yes’, Sam sat down, stretched out his long legs and leaned back to look up at the sky a moment. He gave Mel time to finish chewing before turning to speak to her. 

“Whatcha doing over here all by yourself?” Sam asked gently, noticing how Mel wouldn’t meet his eyes. 

She took her time swallowing before answering with a question of her own, “How well do you know Alex?”

Sam’s eyebrows went up in surprise as he thought, “Not very well. I mean, he’s a jock and kinda a jerk around town but he takes care of his grandparents. He and Haley dated for, like, three years before she broke it off so, I dunno.”

Mel frowned, “Huh… I thought Alex broke it off with her.” She was finally able to look at Sam and her heart skipped a beat. His blue eyes were dark with concern for her. It wasn’t a look she’d gotten from many people besides her foster family but Sam’s gaze held something else, something different, that warmed her. 

“It’s not important,” Mel said, waving her hand to dismiss the conversation. “I’m feeling better now that I’ve had some food… and good company,” she added with a warm smile. 

When Sam returned her smile, it was as if the area around them was instantly brighter. Mel’s heart felt at ease and her mind was calm. “Good. I’m here anytime you need to talk or just wanna hang,” he replied, standing up, “Speaking of, do you have time to come over? I finished the rest of that song from last week. I’d love to hear what you think.”

Mel looked up at the hot sun searing in the sky and nodded eagerly before standing to join him, “I have to wait for the sun to set before I can water the rest of my crops so what better way to pass the time than listening to your mad guitar skills?” Yoba, she was flirting again… badly… but it made him beam.

“Alright! Want me to throw your plate away for you?” Sam offered, reaching for it, his fingers touching hers.

Mel’s cheeks flushed pink. “Thanks,” was all she muttered as his fingers lingering a moment longer than necessary before taking her empty plate. 

They walked to Sam’s house quietly. It might have been an awkward silence had it been a longer distance. Now, Mel sat at the foot of Sam’s bed while he set up his guitar. 

“Okay, this is the part you heard before… with some minor changes,” he said, flashing her a grin as he strummed, “And this is the new.”

Mel smiled and bobbed her head along with the music. Sam really was a great guitarist, especially for having only played a couple of years. After he was finished, Sam placed his hand over the strings and looked up at Mel, his eyes sparkling expectantly. 

“I loved it. At the risk of sounding super cheesy, you have such a beautiful gift for music, Sam,” Mel replied, completely mesmerized by him. “I can’t wait to see you up on the stage one day,” she added with starstruck eyes. 

Sam came over to join her, “You really think so? Gosh, Melody, that’s the best compliment I’ve ever gotten.” He smiled bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck, “When we have our first concert, you’ll be the first to get front row seats. Well, after my family but you know what I mean.”

They were sitting so close on the bed that, while the music still lingered in the air, an electric force seemed to emanate between them. Sam kicked his lips quickly and locked eyes with Mel. There was a moment that the electricity between them crackled so violently that the hairs on Mel’s body rose with goosebumps. Was Sam going to kiss her? Did she want him to? He was super sweet and really, really cute but she wasn’t sure if this was happening or if it was all in her head. 

Sam’s bedroom door opened and Jodi came in with a basket of folded clothes in hand. At seeing the two sitting on Sam’s bed, she stopped and put on a sweet smile. 

“Oh, hi, Mel! Hopefully I’m not interrupting anything,” Jodi said, eyes sparkling excitedly as Mel quickly scooted back from Sam. “I’ll just leave this here. Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?” she asked with her hands on her hips. 

Mel cleared her throat, “Um, no ma’am. Sam wanted me to listen to his new song but my crops are half-watered so I’ve got to get going.” She quickly got to her feet and shot Sam a nervous grin, “Thanks. You really are great on the guitar.”

With that, Sam and Jodi watched as Mel hurried out the door, red-faced from embarrassment. “She’s a strange bird, that one,” Jodi said with a chuckle as she turned to leave. 

“She’s just a little shy, mom. Besides, I think she’s cool,” Sam responded a bit defensive. He knew his mom liked to gossip and would rather the talk be about his possible budding romance with Mel than how awkward or weird she was.  _ ‘Cause she isn’t… _ Sam went back to playing his guitar and thought about how close he was to kissing Mel just now. He felt a smile creep up on his lips.  _ I really like Mel. I wonder if she likes me?  _ Secretly, Sam was hoping his mom  _ would _ gossip about the possibility of the two getting together. Then, maybe, it would actually happen. 


	6. Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Alex loses Mel's friendship, he lets Haley back in while Mel gets closer to Sam.

Alex woke up in the middle of the night with an arm draped over his waist. He looked around the dark room but saw nothing.  _ What the fuck… oh… _ It was the perfume that gave it away.  _ Haley. _

Careful not to wake her, Alex moved her arm and slipped out of bed. She gave a small groan before rolling over and falling back into a deep sleep. Quickly getting dressed, Alex glanced at the clock on her dresser.  _ 2:45 a.m…. granny’s gonna have my hide… _

Slipping his jeans and shoes back on, he crept out the house and into the still of the night. The cool air felt good on his face. Shoving his hands deep into his jacket pockets, Alex made his way home, thinking about how this had happened.

After the egg festival, he remembered that Haley asked him over to just talk. He was upset at losing Mel’s friendship, wound so tight from the sexual tension that had been building and felt utterly weak so her request sounded harmless enough. 

“Please? I miss hanging out with you, Alex. No one else in this stupid, fucking town understands me like you do,” Haley begged. He could just see her blue eyes sparkling as she feigned emotion.

Alex sighed into the receiver and rubbed his eyes, “Fine, Hale, I’ll come over but just for a little while. I’m really tired and still have to do my workout.”

She squealed happily in his ear, “See you soon, then.” The line went quiet. 

Typical Haley. Don’t bother saying thank you or you’re the best. Nothing but a one-sided world that belonged to Haley and the people she needed when she needed them.  _ She’s so fucking shallow… how did I not see it before?  _ Alex felt even more exhausted now, instantly regretting going over but she would make his life a living hell if he didn’t. 

Dragging himself out of bed, Alex made his way down the hall stopping only long enough to say goodbye to his granny. The sun was beginning to set but he stopped to see his dog, Dusty, before making the short walk to Haley’s. While he was crouched down to scratch behind Dusty’s ear, Alex spotted Emily with her blue hair entering the saloon.  _ Shit. Haley’s gonna be a nightmare without her sister as a buffer.  _

Alex groaned when he stood and dusted his jeans off before continuing on his way. His knuckles barely grazed the door before it swung open and the scent of Haley’s perfume hit him.  _ Coconut. _ She stood with one hand on the doorknob and one on her hip. She wore her shortest white, cotton miniskirt with a tight pink crop top.  _ Fuck… I should’ve known better. _

“Well, hello there,” Haley purred, her honeyed voice dripping with seduction, “Come on in.” 

She smelled and looked so good. Alex’s senses were numbing and, despite being exhausted, he ached. Haley may be a viper but she is a damn good-looking one. Instead of leaving immediately, his legs moved him toward the couch where he fell onto the first cushion. 

Haley came around to the back of the couch and rubbed his shoulders, “I’ll go get you a nice, cold beer, baby. Then we can talk.” Her smooth voice was grating on his nerves but the sense to go home was drowned out by the blood rushing to his brain… and other unmentionable places. They had been in this situation many times before, each time after an argument they’d end up in her bed where the makeup sex was so good he’d hurt so good for days after.  _ I swear she does this shit on purpose.  _ The only difference this time was that he’d had weeks to examine his life without her and, honestly, he had been happiest working the farm or going fishing with Mel.

Alex was staring at Haley’s bedroom door, trying to figure out how best to diffuse the situation when she came back from the kitchen holding two beer bottles. She smiled knowingly when she realized he was gazing into her dark bedroom and sat the beers on the table. Alex watched as she wiggled her ass right in his face before turning around with a mischievous smile. Before he could say or think of anything else, Haley straddled him and put her arms on his shoulders.

“See? I knew you missed me, too,” Haley whispered as she lowered her lips to his, grinding into his growing bulge. 

As much as Alex didn’t want to be in this situation, his body did and he deepened the kiss, massaging her backside with his hands.  _ Muscle memory. _ Haley moaned into his mouth and he felt her shiver against his body. The last thing he remembered before waking up was being led to Haley’s room, his pants wet where she had soaked through her underwear... 

——-

Mel woke up the morning after the egg festival with a goal in mind: apologize to Alex. She knew she had been too harsh and that he needed her friendship as much as she needed his. Besides that, she decided she really needed his advice on Sam, any teasing that came with it be damned. Mel had thought about the near kiss all night and started giggling at the idea of a guy being interested in  _ her _ , and not just to get close to her famous gridball brothers.  _ Maybe I could call up mama Crane and ask her advice?  _ Mel thought as she got ready for the day.  _ Or, maybe I could put on a little makeup, wear my hair differently… _

Looking in the mirror, Mel took her strawberry blonde curls and tried to pile them on top of her head. She used a hair tie and a few bobby pins to secure it with a few loose curls falling out. The reflection still showed a plain girl staring back at her but, instead of having neat braids on either side, she had a semi-cute messy bun. Mel’s shoulders slumped and she shook her head. Reaching up to untangle the messy mop, she heard a knock on the door. She frowned at her reflection as she left the bathroom to see who was at the front door.

“Good morning, Miss Mel!” Marnie called from the other side of the screen door, “Found this little one wandering around the south entrance and thought I’d bring her up. Seems like a sweet pup, you wanna keep her?”

The said stray pup in Marnie’s arms looked to be the runt of the litter. She had a ginger coat mottled with white patches, one of which was over one of her chocolate brown eyes. The poor thing looked to have barely been weaned from its mother; it was so small.

Mel smiled and reached out for her, “Let me get a closer look at this sweet pup.” She immediately started wagging her tail furiously in Mel’s arms and started licking her face, eliciting a giggle. “Well, it looks like I’ve got myself a new friend, Ms. Marnie,” she responded as the pup continued her onslaught of puppy kisses.

“I knew she’d be a good fit with you. Whatcha gonna name her?” Marnie asked, petting the excited puppy.

Mel looked into her brown eyes and smiled, “Well, she looks like a Ginger to me… on account of her ginger coat.” The pup let out a playful bark as if to reply in agreement. 

Marnie chuckled and put her hands on her hips. “Well, then. I think you and Ginger are gonna get along just fine. Holler at me if you need anything,” she said before heading back to the ranch.

Mel took Ginger’s paw in hers and they waved goodbye. “Now, lil miss, it’s time for some breakfast and then we’ll get to work!” she instructed the pup, who gave her a lick on the cheek in reply. 

Setting her down on the top step, Mel walked into the farmhouse and waited for Ginger to follow. When the pup bounced inside after her, Mel smiled.  _ It’s going to be nice not being alone anymore. _

The morning tasks were completed and afternoon was approaching fast. Mel still needed to get to town to apologize to Alex and to get supplies for her new family member. She ran a washcloth over her face and headed to town with Ginger running at her side. They took the southern path past Marnie’s ranch, hoping to run into Sam along the way. 

Sure enough, Sam was on his skateboard practicing hick kick flip. When he caught sight of Mel, he made his way over and popped the skateboard up. Ginger came up immediately to check out the new friend in front of them. 

“Hey, Mel! I didn’t know you had a dog,” Sam exclaimed before squatting down to pet the excited pup. “You’re a sweet girl, aren’t you?” he asked rhetorically, scratching behind an ear. 

“Marnie found her this morning and brought her to me. You’re the first friend, well, besides Marnie, to meet her,” Mel said as she smiled down at the pup, who really seemed to like Sam. 

Grinning boyishly up at Mel, her heart flipped as the sun set his spiky blonde hair aflame and made his bright blue eyes sparkle. “So, what’s her name?” Sam asked, just now taking notice of how the afternoon sun highlighted her sun-kissed cheeks and that she was wearing her hair up. 

Mel blushed at Sam and smiled bashfully, “Ginger. We’re on our way to Pierre’s for puppy stuff now.” She tucked her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and began to sway lightly on her heels. 

Sam stood, still smiling, and gently tugged at one of the loose curls around her face, letting it bounce back into place. “Bummer. I was hoping you’d be able to come hang out with me,” he said, his smile warming as he licked his lips. 

Mel leaned a little closer to him, “Maybe I can come over later, if you’re not busy? I still have a lot of farming to do today.” The pink of her cheeks deepened to a red when Sam brushed a stray hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. 

“Sounds good. Shoot me a text when you’re done?” Sam asked, glancing down at her lips quickly before dropping his skateboard back to the ground and placing a foot on top. 

Mel bit her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from laughing giddily and nodded ‘yes’. 

Sam wiggled his eyebrows at her before taking off, “Later, Mel!” 

He had to get away right then or else he felt he would explode. His heart pounded in his chest so hard at the thought of spending another afternoon with Mel and the energy was electric. He was sure she felt it, too.  _ Maybe today I’ll be able to get the kiss I wanted yesterday. _

Sam watched Mel and Ginger head across the square toward Pierre’s and smiled to himself. It had been a while since he’d felt this way about someone.  _ Maybe Mel will help me get over Penny finally. _


	7. Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Sam blows Mel off, she wonders if he is actually interested in her at all. Meanwhile, Alex swallows his pride and begs Mel's forgiveness after defending Haley at the Egg Festival.

Mel was so excited about seeing Sam again this afternoon that she had rushed home after Pierre’s. Apologizing to Alex had totally slipped her mind. As soon as she finished up the rest of the day’s work, Mel headed into the house to clean up with Ginger underfoot. 

Humming to herself, Mel took a quick shower to rinse off most of the dirt while her pup napped just outside the tub. She threw on a pair of jean capris with a cute heathered pink top that had ‘Zuzu City’ printed on the front in white. With a spritz of rose water, hair piled in a messy bun and a little eye makeup, she was done. 

Mel lay on her stomach on the bed and picked up her cell. She started to text Sam but decided to call instead. He answered after two rings.

After a fumbling with his phone, Mel’s heart flipped at the sound of his smooth voice, “Hello?”

“Hey, Sam. It’s Mel. I’m all done for the day so I was wondering… are we still good to hang out?” she asked, smiling and biting her bottom lip as she waited for his response.  _ I wonder if Sam finished his song yet? Maybe he’ll play it for me or maybe he can play something new. _ She pictured the two of them sitting in his bed, Mel swinging her feet while listening and Sam shooting her his toothy grin as he played. 

Sam looked across the table at Sebastian, who was impatiently waiting for him to make his roll. “Oh, Yoba! I’m sorry, Mel. I totally spaced big time. I’m over at Seb’s right now. Can you come over tomorrow?” he asked. 

Sebastian’s eyebrow went up in curiosity and Sam looked away when his face flushed pink. He hadn’t told his two friends about his crush on Mel yet. Penny had only broken up with him a few months ago, this time for the last time and Sam was afraid they’d jump on him for using Mel as a rebound. 

The flip that Mel’s heart had done suddenly took a deep dive into the pit of her stomach. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes but she swallowed, trying to steady her voice. Perhaps Sam wasn’t as interested as she thought if he brushed her off so easily. 

“Oh, okay. Tomorrow, then. See ya,” Mel said with the cheeriest voice she could muster before hanging up quickly. 

The sob she had been holding back let loose as tears fell down her cheeks. She felt stupid crying over something so little but rarely had any of her previous crushes come to anything but them fanboying over her brothers. No one here knew her adopted family. Here, she was just Mel so it was a new beginning for her. 

Wiping the snot from her nose with the back of her hand, Mel made her way to the bathroom about the time Ginger started barking. The pup ran into the living room and Mel heard a knock on the front door just before it opened and Alex’s voice called out her name.  _ Shit. I totally forgot to apologize earlier and I can’t let him see me like this.  _

Quickly, Mel washed her hands and wiped the mascara trails off her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath before heading out. 

——-

Alex knocked on Mel’s door and heard a soft shuffling across the floor. Unsure if Mel was injured, he hesitated a moment before opening the door. 

“Mel? It’s Alex,” he called out upon opening as he stuck his head just inside. 

The shuffling sound from earlier immediately barreled toward him and jumped up on his feet. The tiny pup barely fit on the toe of his sneakers as it barked ferociously with its adorable squeak. Mel came out of her bedroom with a frown on her lips. She was still obviously upset so Alex came the rest of the way inside and eased the door shut but stayed where he was. 

“Ginger! It’s okay, Alex is a friend,” Mel said as she came over, eyeing him briefly before scooping her pup up. She hoped he couldn’t tell she’d been crying. “At least, I hope you’re still my friend after yesterday,” she added with an apologetic wince. 

Alex was trying to reconcile that Mel had a pup and the fact that  _ he _ had come to apologize but she was apologizing to him. At the moment all he could respond with was, “What?”

Mel sighed, “I’m sorry, Alex. I was having a bad day yesterday and took it out on you after Haley embarrassed me. Will you forgive me?” 

Alex finally looked Mel in the eyes and saw that they were slightly pink. Furthermore, she had put on a bit of makeup and her hair was up in a cute messy bun. 

He cleared his throat, “Only if you forgive me. I should’ve stood up for you. Haley was being a jerk because she’s jealous.” Alex scratched behind Ginger’s ear absentmindedly as he spoke, also realizing that Mel was not covered in dirt. In fact, she seemed to be wearing a light floral perfume that was nice.  _ Am I interrupting her plans tonight?  _ he thought, suddenly feeling like he should leave. 

Mel smiled in relief, “All is forgiven, then.” She placed Ginger back down on the floor and held out her hand, “Friends.”

Alex chuckled and took her hand, giving it a short but firm shake, “Friends, always.” Remembering his urgency to leave, he took his hand away and cleared his throat, “Well, I guess I should go. I needed to apologize but I don’t want to bother you if you have plans.” 

Mel watched Alex reach for the door but stopped him with a hand on his bicep. “Please don’t go. I could really use a friend right now,” she pleaded, her eyes glistening again.  _ Why am I always crying and getting emotional around Alex?  _

Alex turned to face Mel and, at seeing her eyes well up with tears, put his hands on her arms just below her shoulders. “Whoa, Mel, what’s wrong?” he asked, trying to look her straight on but she was avoiding eye contact.

Mel shook her head and a tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m sorry…I’m being stupid again in front of you. I thought I could keep it together... You should probably go after all…” she choked out and tried to pull away from him but instead Alex made eye contact. 

“Hey! You aren’t doing anything wrong. It’s alright to let out your feelings but you need to talk about it,” Alex said, suddenly very focused on finding out what or who had upset Mel so badly. Whatever or whoever would have to answer to him. 

Mel nodded her head and fell into Alex, hugging him around the waist tightly. He held her for a moment until she sniffled and let out a long, slow breath. 

“Did someone hurt you?” Alex asked gently but firmly. He wasn’t sure exactly where this protective urge was coming from. He used to be that way with Haley when they first started dating but this felt different. 

Mel shook her head. “No. Not really. Like I said, it’s stupid. Besides,” she said, leaning back and stepping away from Alex, “You’d probably tease me anyway.”

Alex frowned slightly, “No way. You can tell me anything and I promise I won’t tease or make fun of you. Not ever.” His tone and gaze softened a bit, “Besides, I can’t afford to lose the only friend I have in this town.” 

When he saw the small smile form on Mel’s lips, Alex directed her to the kitchen table. “Now, you sit and I’ll get you some water and a napkin. Then, you can tell me who I’m gonna be having words with,” he joked with a goofy grin. 

Mel curled her lips and nodded. Sitting at the table, she watched Alex work in her tiny kitchen and stifled a laugh. He may as well have been a giant in a hobbit house the way his head barely cleared the ceiling. Despite the small space, he maneuvered his way around and back to the table. Setting the cup of water and napkin in front of her, he sat in the chair next to her. 

“Well,” Mel began, trying to figure out where best to start, “First, let me say that I probably made things out to be more than they were.” 

She took a sip of water and dabbed underneath her eyes before continuing, “There’s a guy in town that I started crushing on and I thought he liked me, too. We were supposed to meet up tonight but he had other plans.” Focusing all her attention on her hands, Mel avoided Alex’s intense gaze as he listened. 

“I don’t know, Alex. He’s always so sweet and nice to me…and, this morning when we talked... I’m beginning to feel like I’m making this stuff up in my head,” Mel explained further as a ragged breath escaped her lips.

Alex thought about it for a moment before things clicked. There weren’t many people in town so he put two and two together pretty quick. 

“Oh, Sam is just like that, Mel. He’s always forgetting stuff. That’s why Penny stays mad at him all the time, or, at least that’s what granny says,” Alex explained.  _ Why would someone like Mel give someone like Sam the time of day anyway?  _ he thought but held his tongue.

Mel put her head down and shook it in disbelief. Of course Alex would know exactly who she was talking about but she didn’t know about Penny. 

“So, Sam is dating this Penny and he  _ is _ just being nice,” Mel said as a statement more than a question. She let out a bitter chuckle and sat back, wringing the napkin in her hands. “Figures…” she added quietly.

Alex gently lifted her chin, “Hey. Don’t let this get you down. If you want, I’ll have a talk with Sam; tell him to stop flirting with you and jerking your heart around.” He felt her chin quiver before she shook her head and stood up. 

Mel walked over to the kitchen sink and splashed cool water on her face. When she wiped all the makeup off and turned back to Alex, he recognized the look on her face. It was set hard like she had just stuffed her feelings into a tiny box that was way too small and just locked it up. He knew that wouldn’t last and wondered what else had been stuffed into that small box, ready to break free.  _ Another time _ , he decided. 

“No. It’s alright. I’ve never really had time for a boyfriend and I still don’t, not with the huge farm I have to tend,” Mel said, her cheeriness forced just enough for him to notice. 

Alex stood and came over to her, “So, you wanna come over for dinner tonight, then? Granny’s making her famous cookies for dessert.” He raised his eyebrows to entice her further. 

Mel just chuckled and play-punched his shoulder, “Tempting but I’m gonna take a rain check. I don’t want to be out right now. Not in a socializing mood.” She sniffled and gave him a weak grin. 

“Well, I can hang out longer, if you want. We can watch a movie,” Alex said, looking around for a television but found an ancient box model in a corner. He pulled his cell out, “on my phone.” He was afraid to leave her alone in her current state. He didn’t think she would harm herself but he really didn’t know Mel well enough to rule that out. He did know that she was practiced at pushing her sadness and anger aside to go forward. Eventually this tactic would come back to bite her… it always did when Alex had tried.

Mel thought about how nice it would be, being cuddled up on her small sofa with a warm body next to hers. Maybe she could pretend, just for tonight, that this is what it’s like to have somebody.  _ No way! I can’t do that to Alex or myself. He’s your friend, the only real friend you’ve got and that would mess everything up. _

“I appreciate the offer but I’m going to turn in early,” Mel said in earnest, “It’s actually been a really long day.”

Alex nodded and put his cell away. “Fair enough. You need help on the farm tomorrow? I’m not busy and, you said so yourself, you have enough work for more than one set of hands.”

Mel thought about it for a moment. Looking down at Ginger, who was resting in her little bed with one eye slightly open, she smiled, “Sure but bring your pole. If we get finished early I want to go fishing.”

They made their way to her front door. Alex opened it and turned to Mel before exiting, “You know you can call me anytime, right? If you need to talk or vent, whatever, okay?”

“Okay,” Mel responded, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. She watched Alex duck underneath the door jam to leave and smiled, “Thanks, Alex, for everything.”

He paused halfway to return her grin with a boyish one of his own, “See you tomorrow.” Alex turned, headed down the stairs and toward town. As he thought about Mel and Sam, he felt a pang of guilt waking up at Haley’s last night. Why was he feeling so guilty about that and why was he feeling the need to punch Sam in the face? 

Alex decided he needed to avoid Haley and Sam at all cost. Maybe Mel could use his help all week? He missed working the farm with her and they had fun last time. He’d never felt so relaxed and pumped except during gridball season. 

——-

Sam made his way from Sebastian’s after their game of Solarian Chronicles. After Mel hung up so abruptly he just couldn’t focus on the game and Seb got annoyed enough to cut the scenario short. 

Taking the mountain path through the farm, Sam had made up his mind to apologize to Mel as soon as he stepped outside. She was really cool, sweet, smart and he loved how the tiny freckles on her face made her blue eyes so intensely blue they looked like sapphires. He wished he wasn’t such a ditz, forgetting things all the time but, now that Sebastian knew he had a thing for the new farmer, maybe he could get out of the next thing he forgot about to spend time with her. 

As Sam rounded the corner, his stomach flipped at the sight of Mel’s cabin and he sped up. At the bottom of the steps, Sam paused to take a deep breath and headed up. The lights were turned low but he didn’t notice, needing to set things right after they had been going so well. 

Sam knocked on the door and smiled when he heard Ginger’s tiny bark. A few minutes later he heard Mel’s soft voice calm the pup just before the door opened. She had her hair down in loose curls that fell over her slender shoulders and wore a cute, white cotton nightgown that came down just past her knees. Sam’s smile dropped at seeing Mel’s puffy red eyes, though, and he immediately jumped into action.

“Melody! Are you alright?” Sam blurted out as Mel opened the door to let him in. If this had anything to do with him, he would never forgive himself.

“Yeah, I was just turning in for the night and had some things on my mind,” Mel replied, carefully avoiding Sam’s eyes as he stepped inside.

He noticed that she seemed to avoid his gaze and stood with plenty of space between them. The vibe was worlds different from this morning. 

“Please tell me you’re not super upset about tonight. Yoba, I felt so bad I had to apologize as soon as I could,” Sam said as he took a step closer and raised his hand to wipe a fresh tear from Mel’s cheek. 

“Don’t,” she said, pulling away and wiping her own eyes, “You’re with Penny so just...don’t.”

Sam’s jaw dropped and he ran a hand through his hair. Who was going around telling Mel his business anyways? They had outdated information and it pissed him off. 

“Penny broke up with me months ago. Whatever you heard isn’t true,” Sam said as he turned Mel to face him. “Besides, Melody, I really like you. That’s why I had to come tonight to tell you I’m sorry for blowing you off. With the way you hung up, I was worried,” he explained quietly, cradling her face in his hand and furrowed his brows at the pitiful, sad face that looked back at him. 

“So, you’re not with Penny and you really do like me?” Mel asked more pitifully than she meant to. 

Sam smiled warmly and brought her face up to his, pressing his warm lips against hers. He felt Mel’s hands tentatively on his hips and brought his other hand up to her back, pulling her close. 

Mel wasn’t sure if the pounding in her chest came from her own or from Sam’s as they kissed but it was sweet and warm...everything that she had imagined in her daydreams and more. 

When Sam pulled back, Mel’s eyes were still closed. He brushed the curls away from her face and watched her eyes open as her lips curled into a happy smile. 

Smiling in return, Sam clarified things further, “Just in case we missed anything, Penny and have been splits for months and I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first night you came over for dinner.” 

Mel leaned up and gave Sam a peck on the lips again, “So, does this mean you and me are officially a thing?” 

The sparkle in her eyes made Sam chuckle happily, “Yeah, we are if you want. We can make it official at the Flower Dance next weekend.” 

Mel had heard about the Flower Dance from Granny Evelyn, having agreed to help her with the flower arrangements next week. The thought of getting all dressed up and dancing in a spring meadow with flowers all around sounded magical. Mel hadn’t counted on having a date, though. 

“I’d like that,” she smiled in reply just as Sam’s phone buzzed. 

“It’s my mom wondering where I am. She gets worried too easily,” he replied, checking it, rolling his eyes, then holding it up for Mel to see. “Guess I better go. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said, heading toward the door with Mel behind him. 

Sam stepped out onto the porch and turned back to face Mel. “‘Night,” he said with a quick peck on her cheek and an ear-to-ear grin. 

“‘Night,” Mel replied dreamily as she watched him leave. As soon as his figure faded into the night, Mel closed the door and leaned against it. 

She pinched her arm to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, yelping quietly and catching Ginger’s attention. Mel scooped the pup up into her arms and laughed at the kisses.  _ Me and Sam… _ she thought.  _ What’s Alex going to say when I tell him? _ The thought embarrassed her after she had made such a big fuss. Alex had been so protective of her. 

Mel decided, as Ginger snuggled up underneath her chin, that she wouldn’t tell Alex yet. As she slipped back into bed and pulled the covers up, her stomach twisted.  _ Alex is my best friend. Why do I feel so guilty about hiding my relationship with Sam? _

Despite the tingling still on her lips from her kiss with Sam and the warmth of the precious pup she cuddled with, Mel drifted off to a restless sleep. 


	8. Crazy Little Thing Called…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After last night's apology, Alex spends the day helping Mel on the farm and continuing to grow their friendship. When Mel gets a call from Sam inviting her over to hear a new song, Alex takes it upon himself to have a word with guitar boy about what breaking her heart would do to him.

Alex woke up Monday morning with an extra boost of energy. He finished his morning routine: a quick stretch and fifty push-ups to wake his muscles, hot shower with a cold rinse in the last minute to increase testosterone, styling his hair with gel to make it stay perfect all day, a dab of cologne and checking his body in the mirror for any loss of muscle or tone. Satisfied, he hung the towel up and slipped on his work clothes before heading down the hall for a hearty breakfast. 

The wonderful scent of bacon, sausage, eggs and biscuits wafted down the hall, making Alex’s smile grow. He was so lucky to have such great and supportive grandparents. Furthermore, he was lucky to have such an awesome friend as Mel. Sure, he was still concerned about Mel last night but he decided that when he saw Sam, a nice chat was in order. 

“Mmm-Mmm, Granny! Sure smells good,” Alex exclaimed as he entered the kitchen and kissed her on the cheek. 

Grandpa George was sitting at the table reading the morning paper and raised an eyebrow at Alex’s better than usual good mood. “You get a call from the Tunneler’s coach?” his grandpa asked, half joking but still curious. 

Alex gave him a half-smile and poured a glass of orange juice, “You’d be the first to know, but, not yet. I’m just pumped to be helping Mel out on the farm.”

Granny put a pan of scrambled eggs in the middle of the table next to the plates of toast and breakfast meats. “You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with dear Mel,” she said suggestively, a wry grin on her lips. 

“C’mon, granny. We’re just friends. Mel’s like the little sister I never had,” Alex retorted, feeling his face warm, “She honestly needs the help. I mean, you two should see all the land she cleared and planted. It’s way too much for one person to do and it’s a good workout.”

Sitting down at the table, Alex began piling food on his plate, eager to get over to the farm to get started. Granny Evelyn wasn’t finished prodding yet, though, and continued as she served George. 

“Well, you know your grandpa and I started out as friends, didn’t we, dear?” she said, waiting on George to mumble something that sounded like a yes before continuing, “You never know. The Flower Dance is next weekend. Perhaps you two could partner up.”

Granny had him there. There wasn’t any reason for them not to pair up as just friends. It is, after all, Mel’s first Flower Dance. Alex wiped his mouth with a napkin, “It’s not a bad idea. I’ll think about it.” 

They finished their breakfast with idle conversation and Alex put his dishes in the sink. When he turned to leave, Evelyn held out a paper sack for him to take. 

“Here, since Mel wasn’t able to join us for dinner last night, I packed some cookies with your lunch,” Granny said sweetly as he took the bag from her. 

Alex grinned thankfully, “Thanks, granny. Love you.” He hugged her goodbye and then leaned down to hug his grandpa. 

“Tell Mel we said hello and come see us soon, will ya?” Grandpa said as he patted Alex on the back. 

“Will do. I’ll be home for dinner,” Alex called out as he headed for the door. 

_ Today is starting out promising _ , he thought, snagging the fishing pole and tackle box from the hallway on his way out. He cast a quick glance toward Sam’s house and shook his head.  _ That guy sleeps ‘til nearly noon most days. What does Mel see in him anyways? _

The morning walk was a brisk and chilly one but Alex enjoyed every minute of it. Quiet mornings were helpful for his mental health and working the farm was even more so, he found. As soon as the farmhouse came into view, Alex jogged the rest of the way, eager to get started. Mel was just stepping out with Ginger when Alex passed the “Morningstar Farm” sign. 

“Morning,” Alex called out as he came up to the bottom of the steps. Ginger wagged her tail furiously fast and squeaked at him as she bounced up his leg, excited for another friend to play with. “And good morning to you, Ginger!” he added with a gentle petting. 

When he stood, Mel was smiling but something was a little different than last night. Perhaps she would be okay and he overreacted. 

“Good morning! I see you remembered your pole,” Mel said, gesturing to his pole with her cup of orange juice.

Alex held up the paper sack and wiggled it, “That’s not all. Granny packed us some cookies for lunch.”

Mel’s smile grew, “Well, let’s earn those cookies, then!” She took the bag from him and hurried in the house to put it in the kitchen. Back outside, Alex was getting the tools out of her shed. 

“I appreciate you coming out to help,” Mel said as she helped gather them up to carry over to the garden, “If you make a habit of it, it’s only fair for me to start sharing some of the profits with you.” The thought of saying ‘paying you’ sounded too impersonal to her. 

Alex stopped a moment to think about that. At first, he came to work as part of a bet he lost but he wanted to do more. If he started bringing home some crops, that wouldn’t be as weird as being paid. He was helping a friend anyway and getting into shape as well. 

“I dunno, Mel. Maybe I can take some stuff home for granny and grandpa, you know, part of what we pick on the days I help,” Alex responded, scratching under his chin. 

“I guess so, but if you start helping more often than a day here and there, we need to talk seriously, okay?” she answered and they both agreed, getting to work. 

For most of the morning, they talked about the tasks at hand but soon their conversations migrated to gridball averages and statistics. Surprisingly, Mel had an impressive knowledge that rivaled his own. 

“Like I told you when we first met, my family is pretty crazy about gridball,” Mel chuckled, slightly embarrassed at how much had apparently rubbed off on her. 

Alex smiled, “It’s just nice to have someone else to talk gridball to. Before you came here, Shane was the only other person in town that cared for gridball almost as much as I do but he’s not one for conversation.” He kicked at a rock in the walkway, knocking it loose and picked it up. As they walked back to the farmhouse for lunch, Alex tossed it up in the air, catching it to toss up again. 

Mel nodded slowly, “Yeah, Shane’s not one to warm up quickly but he’s not that bad a guy once you get to know him.” 

Alex caught the rock, put his hand on Mel’s shoulder and stopped walking. “Wait. You mean to tell me you’ve managed to befriend the town’s grumpy drunk, too?” he asked, completely dumbfounded at the charisma of his friend. 

“Yeah. It kinda happened when I went to Marnie’s for chickens. We got to talking about the different breeds and production…” Mel started before she trailed off because Alex was shaking his head in disbelief and chuckling to himself. “What?” she asked with a chuckle herself. 

“You’re really something special, Mel. I don’t want you to take this the wrong way but, whoever your real parents were, they must have been idiots to have given you up,” Alex said gently. 

Mel sniffled and started hurriedly back toward the house. Alex cursed internally and ran to catch up. Why did he say something like that? He was usually good at giving compliments but completely fumbled that one.

“Mel, I didn’t mean…Ugh! Shit,” Alex tried apologizing as he came to a stop in front of her and wrapped his arms around her in a big hug. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled into her hair. 

He wasn’t sure what else to do but Mel held him tight around the waist. She shook her head against him and rested her forehead on his chest, “It’s not that...it’s just that...I am the way I am  _ because _ my parents gave me up. The Crane's did right by me, like I was their own daughter since they didn’t have one.”

Mel looked up at Alex with tears falling down her cheeks again.  _ Can I NOT cry, just once around Alex! _ She frowned and added, “I have no idea how awesome or terrible they were because  _ no one _ knows. If my foster family hadn’t taken me in, who would I be today?”

“I don’t know what to say,” Alex replied, feeling totally helpless in making Mel feel better. He wasn’t very good at this friend thing. 

Mel gave him a weak smile as she stepped back out of the warmth of Alex’s hug, missing the physical connection for a fleeting moment. “You don’t have to say anything, Alex. Just be my friend. I have plenty of overprotective brothers but not nearly enough friends,” she responded genuinely.

Alex nodded, “I can do that.” 

With a smile, they headed up the stairs to the farmhouse and grabbed lunch. Mel ate more than half the cookies Granny sent, mainly because Alex had more at home and she enjoyed them so much. Afterwards, he excused himself to the restroom while she went out to pick the last of the produce. As soon as Mel got to the back row, her phone started buzzing in her front pocket. When she pulled it out to see who was calling, she felt her face flush at seeing Sam’s name. 

“Hel-loo,” Mel answered in a sing-song voice. 

Sam chuckled, “Hey, Mel. Are you busy this afternoon? I’ve got a song I wanna play for you.”

Mel bit her bottom lip and stifled a giddy giggle, “I’m going fishing with Alex but I’m free after that.”

“Hmm, okay. Call me when you’re done?” Sam said, the tiniest hint of disapproval in his voice but Mel was so lovestruck she missed it. 

The pounding of feet on gravel told Mel that Alex was on his way so she hurried to hang up. “Mm-kay. I can’t wait to hear the song. I’ll see you soon,” she said quietly, trying to downplay the sultry voice that seemed to naturally produce. 

Sam said goodbye and Mel hung up about the time Alex made it to her. She slipped the phone back into her pocket and tried to act natural. 

Alex set the two crates he was carrying down and raised an eyebrow in curiosity, “Who was that?” 

Mel busied herself with picking, hoping to calm her nerves a bit while her body wanted to explode in joy. “Oh, it was just Sam. He has a song he wants me to hear later,” she answered nonchalantly. He may be her friend but that didn’t mean she had to tell him  _ everything, _ did it?

Alex’s jaw flexed. He couldn’t help but feel a little pissed that Sam was stringing Mel along like that. “Oh, really? The same Sam that had you in tears just last night?” he asked, a little more offensive than intended. 

“Yes, Alex. For your information, he apologized, okay?” Mel retorted, “Besides, it wasn’t all his fault…I let myself get twisted up over nothing.”

She was partially right but Alex felt like he should have that chat with Sam sooner rather than later. For now, he eased up on Mel, “I just don’t want to see you to hurt like that again. Honestly, I felt helpless last night and I’m not really good at this friend thing...but I’m trying.”

Mel stopped picking to look at Alex and the warmth in the smile she gave him made his heart flutter. “You’re a great friend, Alex. I’m lucky to have you. And, if  _ I’m _ being honest, your hugs are like magic,” she replied, her grin turning lopsided as she playfully pushed him, “Just don’t let that kind of power go to your head.”

Alex laughed and puffed his chest out, “With great hugs comes great responsibility. I promise to not let the power of my awesome hugs go to my head...much.”

They picked quietly for a few minutes before Alex remembered something, “Oh, Granny called just before I came back outside. She needs me home to help fix the dining table. Apparently, Grandpa knocked a leg loose again with his wheelchair and it’s more wobbly than usual. I’ll have to take a rain check on fishing today.”

“That’s alright. Do what you need to do and we’ll try again tomorrow. It’s supposed to rain so I’ll finish with the farm work pretty quick since I won’t have to water anything,” Mel said, shrugging her shoulders. 

Alex grinned apologetically, “Cool. We need to see about getting you some sprinklers before summer. Either that or you’ll need a bucket of sunscreen.” 

Mel groaned at the thought, “Yeah, well, sprinklers require ore and that means I have to go into those dark, scary mines. Have you heard the rumors your Grandpa tells about the creatures in the deeper levels?” She shivered in fright causing goosebumps to cover her arms.

“The first few levels just have slimes from the way Mayor Lewis tells it. If he can go down there, you should be able to,” Alex tried encouraging her. He saw how hard Mel worked, the way the muscles in her arms and back rippled when she moved. Mel was tougher than she gave herself credit for. 

Mel thought about it for a moment, “Maybe. But I don’t know when I’ll have the time.” She had gone to the local blacksmith to buy the ore but he was too expensive for her right now. 

Alex stopped picking and wiped his brow. A brilliant idea came to mind and he wondered why they hadn’t thought of it before. “Instead of going fishing tomorrow, why don’t we go mining? You won’t be alone and with the two of us working, you’ll have twice the ore in no time,” he said excitedly. 

The relief Mel felt at that moment was like nothing she had felt before. Not having to go into the mines by herself was cake but having Alex’s tough self come along was icing. 

“You have no idea how much that would mean to me,” Mel replied, giving him a bear hug of her own. 

As soon as she let go, Alex caught his breath again.  _ Stronger than she knows…  _

“I’ll help you finish up here…” Alex started as he went for the next crate. 

But Mel interrupted him, “No! That’s alright. You go take help Granny with the dining table and I’ll finish up. See you tomorrow, k?” 

Alex couldn’t help but give her a half grin, knowing she really wanted to have time to herself.  _ Most likely she’s gonna make herself up like last night _ , he thought, remembering how nice she looked; more like the girls he was used to dating. 

“Alright. See you tomorrow,” he conceded with a hand on her shoulder, “Just watch yourself, okay?”

With a salute from Mel, Alex headed toward town taking the southern pass… right past Sam’s house. Just as he hoped, Sam was outside his house on his skateboard. 

“Yo, Sammy!” Alex barked, standing straight in his intimidating gridball pose and stood waiting. 

Alex watched Sam trip over his board at the interruption, frown in confusion at seeing him and then look around, for Mel he assumed. When Sam didn’t see her, he made his way over to Alex, skateboard tucked under his arm. 

“What’s up, Alex?” Sam asked slowly. Clearly he was off, which was the exact intent. 

“Are you still dating Penny?” Alex asked straightforwardly with his piercing brown eyes, trying to penetrate the layers of shit this punk had piled up underneath his little mask of innocence.

Sam blinked twice and understanding dawned on his face. “So, you’re the one who told Mel,” he said quietly, things clicking into place, “But, naw, dude. Penny broke it off for good almost two months ago. You interested in Mel, too, huh?”

Alex smirked and took a step forward, shaking his head, “It’s not like that. We’re just friends but Mel is important to me so don’t break her heart again or my fist will rearrange your face.”

Sam actually gulped. He didn’t mean to, it was totally involuntary but Alex saw it and smiled. He clapped him on the shoulder and started toward the square. 

“See ya ‘round, Sammy Boy,” Alex called back to him just before disappearing behind the Saloon. 

_ What the hell was that all about? ‘Break her heart again’?  _ Sam thought about what Alex had said as he headed to his room, closing the door behind him.  _ Mel must have called him over the night I bugged out.  _ If that was true, then why wasn’t Alex there when he came by to apologize? 

He paced the floor a couple of times before it hit him.  _ Mel didn’t call him, there wasn’t time. He must have been there already… _ This realization made Sam more than jealous, not that he and Mel were serious yet, having just started to date but he hoped they would be.  _ Alex really does like Mel… but does she like him?  _ The thought drove him crazy. Mel was perfect and really understood him. I mean, he loved music and the fact that her name was Melody had to be a sign they were supposed to be together.

Sam couldn’t wait any longer to see Mel so he picked up his phone and started to text her but called instead. She answered on the second ring.

“Hey, Sam,” Mel crooned in her velvety voice.

Sam’s stomach jumped and his heart fluttered.  _ See? Perfect _ … “Hey, Mel. I just saw Alex heading home. You guys done fishing already?” He winced at the way the words came out and hoped they didn’t sound like an accusation. 

“Actually, Granny called needing help so Alex left early. I just finished washing up and was about to call you,” Mel hummed happily, anxious to see her boyfriend. 

Sam smiled in relief that Mel didn’t miss a beat. That was part of why he liked her so much. And her long, soft, strawberry blonde curls; bright blue eyes sparkling when she spoke. He loved the way little freckles peppered her nose and cheeks. He imagined tracing each one with his finger all the way to her soft lips…

“Sam? Did you hear me?” Mel asked again. 

“Sorry, I… what did you say again?” Sam stammered, flustered at his daydream.  _ Get it together and she’ll be here for real, dude.  _

Mel repeated her question, “Am I good to come over now or are you busy?” Her stomach was starting to drop, realizing he may have forgotten other plans again with how preoccupied he seemed.

Sam sat straight up, “Yeah, you can come over right now. That’s why I was calling, to see if you could come early. I miss you.” The words spilled out quickly and he hoped she was able to decipher his babble. 

Mel giggled, “I miss you, too. Be over in ten.” 

After the phone hung up, Sam fell into his back, his bed bouncing him once. He closed his eyes to dream of Mel’s face and the feel of her lips.  _ She’s perfect and she’s mine for now. _ The worry that Alex might steal her away was still there but he pushed it back. Alex said they were just friends but Sam knew he liked Mel more than that. It was just a matter of time before  _ he _ realized it, too, so Sam was gearing up now.  _ Mel won’t be taken from me so easily. _


	9. The Mines of Mel...odrama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mel's relationship with Sam blossoms quickly but Alex's conversation with him threatens their friendship. Meanwhile, an angry Mel goes into the mines by herself and Alex finds himself fighting for more than her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one week?! Haha! You bet. This story is progressing beyond my wildest daydreams and I hope you all are enjoying it so far. I've got big plans for these three and they should be coming to fruition soon... =)

Mel took one more quick glance in the mirror to make sure no hair was out of place before closing up and heading out. Ginger had begged to come with her but Sam’s mom, Jodi, wouldn’t allow animals in the house. The pup whined at the door, pulling at Mel’s heartstrings but her first real boyfriend awaited. 

Five minutes later, she was rounding the corner to pass Marnie’s ranch when she ran into Sam. 

“I couldn’t wait to see you,” he said as Mel stepped up to him with the sweetest smile on her face. The tension from Alex’s threat waned in her presence but it wasn’t gone. Sam was still shaken, not wanting to fight Alex over Mel but he would. 

Mel’s sweet smile grew larger and she felt her face flush, “So you came to walk with me?” She resisted the urge to kiss him or hold his hand, having said they’d announce their relationship at the flower dance in a week. 

Sam must have either forgotten or didn’t care because he nodded his head and took her hands in his, lacing their fingers. Mel felt warm all over as Sam leaned in and tentatively laid a kiss on her lips, brushing them so lightly with his that she got a head rush. When he pressed his lips harder, Mel was glad he held her hands or she would have floated away. 

“Wow,” Mel whispered dreamily when Sam pulled back. The smile on her face was matched by Sam’s. 

“Yeah,” he replied, snapping out this stupor. He needed to get Mel to his room so they could do more of that without the cows and pigs watching. “C’mon. I wrote a song for you,” Sam murmured and pulled her along beside him. 

Once in Sam’s bedroom, Mel took her usual spot on the bed and kicked her feet happily. Sam grinned as he picked up his guitar and sat next to her. 

“This song came to me last night after our first kiss,” he told her, blushing lightly at the thought, “It’s not quite done but I wanted you to hear it…” his fingers plucked the strings lightly, tuning each one before strumming them together in a one, harmonious note. 

Sam played the first few chords and glanced at Mel, her face a picture of contentment and joy. “This way, you can listen to how I feel about you at the beginning of our relationship and, as we go, you can hear how much closer we grow,” he continued, playing the next few chords. 

Mel watched Sam’s nimble fingers find each note and play them with perfect synchronization. His face wasn’t focused in concentration like before but more relaxed, as if he were feeling the notes as they left their bodies and just played it back for her to hear. And what he played was beautiful. 

When Sam finished, he put his hands over the strings of his guitar. Looking up at Mel, he asked, “What did you think?”

Mel placed her hand on Sam’s, tracing his long fingers with hers before bringing her hand up to his cheek. “That was the most beautiful song I have ever heard,” she responded barely above a whisper. 

Sam set his guitar down next to the bed in its stand and turned back to Mel. He tucked a loose curl behind her ear and lifted her chin closer. “I have a feeling it’s just going to get better,” he said as their lips came together. 

He wasn’t sure why but kissing Mel was something he enjoyed so much he couldn’t get enough. Maybe it was the feeling that she was his perfect match or maybe it was because he found new music through her but whatever it was, Sam was in heaven. 

Suddenly, his bedroom door came open and a very grumpy Sebastian came in looking down at his cell and mumbling. “Motherfu…” he started when he looked up but stopped at seeing Mel in Sam’s arms. 

“What the fuck, Sam?” Sebastian said flatly, his cheek turning pink, “I don’t care if your girlfriend is here for band practice but could you at least wait until I’m gone to do...that.” He waved his hand in their general direction and dropped his backpack next to the keyboard. 

Mel sat still as she watched Sebastian do anything but acknowledge he had walked in on their makeout session. “I should probably go. I don’t want to be a distraction,” she said, sliding off of Sam’s bed and standing next to the door with her hands in her back pockets. 

Sam followed her and pleaded, “You don’t have to go. Seb will be fine, you heard him. He doesn’t care if you stay.” He glanced back at his friend, who was busy warming up the keyboard. 

When Mel didn’t seem convinced, he tried one last time, “Please? You, my Melody, are my muse. If you leave, the music goes with you.”

Those were the sweetest words any guy had ever said to Mel and she caved instantly. “When you put it that way, I guess I have to stay,” she smiled sweetly and leaned up to give him a peck on the cheek. 

Later, after the guys played through some of their older songs and then practiced the newer stuff until Sam was happy, Sebastian left pretty quickly. Mel noticed he gave Sam a ‘look’ before departure but didn’t know them well enough to ask what it was all about. Now, they lay on Sam’s bed holding hands, stealing little kisses as they talked about music, farming life, the upcoming Flower Dance and fishing. 

“Which reminds me,” Sam said as he propped up on his arm to look at his girlfriend, “What’s up with you and Alex?”

Mel raised an eyebrow and brought her hand up to play with Sam’s spiky hair, “We’re just friends. Why do you ask? You’re not jealous, are you?” She was suddenly concerned that, now that she had a boyfriend it may not be proper to hang out with Alex as much. Mel didn’t want to have to choose between them. 

Sam stroked her cheek and shook his head, “Not really… maybe a tiny bit. He may have threatened to rearrange my face if I ever did anything to break your heart again.”

Mel sat up, anger building up inside her. This was just the type of thing that her brothers would do and she had just told Alex last night NOT to say anything. “He did, huh?” she said, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes, “He promised to leave it alone and besides that, you apologized later… I told him as much.” 

Sam followed Mel off the bed and watched her pace back and forth. “Melody, please calm down. It’s not that big of a deal. I don’t care what he says. As long as you want to be with me, I will do my best to make you happy,” Sam explained, finally getting her to stop pacing so he could hold her. 

Mel rested her head on Sam’s chest and squeezed him gently. “You do make me happy, Sam. It’s just that, I have six brothers and dating was never easy for me because of things like what Alex did.” She looked up into Sam’s beautiful blue eyes, “And all I want is to be happy… to be able to date a guy without worrying that they’re going to get scared off.”

Sam kissed her sweetly, “I’m not gonna let Alex scare me off. I really like you, Melody. I already feel we have a special connection and I want to see it through to wherever it takes us.”

When Mel got home that night, she had intended to call Alex to tell him off but she decided against it. However, since she didn’t want to spend time with him right now until she had time to cool off, she texted him telling him she didn’t need him to go to the mines with her tomorrow. Silencing her phone, she got ready for bed and went right to sleep for an early start. 

——-

Alex woke up the next morning, immediately feeling around for his phone. After Mel texted him saying she didn’t need him to help her in the mines, he had sent a few texts back asking why but none were answered. It worried him that she would blow him off after their discussion yesterday. She seemed terrified going into the mines alone and they were in a really good place. 

_ BUT _ , Alex thought,  _ you talked to Sam after she asked you not to _ . Was that it? Did Sam tell her what he said? Was Mel upset at him for looking out for his friend? Surely she would have told him if she was. 

Alex rolled out of bed and listened to the rain beat on the rooftop. After finishing his morning routine, he was greeted in the hallway by a bucket and an exasperated Granny. 

“The roof sprung a leak again. Would you climb up there and fix it, please?” Evelyn begged her grandson. 

He knew how to fix it, having done so numerous times since his grandpa refused to get a new roof. He figured it wouldn’t take him but half an hour, plenty of time to make it over to Mel’s before she left for the mines. Some explaining was in order… and another apology, it would seem. 

Granny fixed breakfast while Alex worked, the rain coming down in steady sheets that soaked him to the bone. By the time he finished, the rain had slowed to a drizzle and the temperature had dropped enough that he was cold. 

Once inside, Alex took his sneakers off at the door and headed to his bedroom for some dry clothes. Glancing at the clock, he swore under his breath. It had taken him nearly an hour to fix the broken shingle so he got dressed as quickly as possible, tossing his wet clothes on top of the basket and hurried to the kitchen. 

“I’m late getting over to Mel’s so I’m taking breakfast to go, if that’s okay,” Alex told his grandparents as he built a sandwich out of eggs, sausage, bacon and toast. 

Grandpa George put his paper down and looked up at him, “You two going fishing? Good day to.” 

Alex saw the sparkle in his grandpa’s eye. Most times they go fishing, Mel ended up having dinner with them and George enjoyed telling more fishing stories. 

“Actually, Mel needs sprinklers so we’re going to the mines. She’s afraid to go by herself but can’t pay Clint’s prices,” Alex answered before taking a bite of his breakfast. He found a reusable cup and filled it with half orange juice and half water. 

George’s face darkened, knowing full well the dangers of delving into the mines, “You two take care in there. One wrong swing and you’ll be sittin’ in a wheelchair. In the meantime, I’m gonna have a talk with Clint after breakfast.” He went back to his plate to finish his last few bites. 

Hugging his grandparents goodbye, Alex headed out, grabbing his backpack and an umbrella on the way. The rain had let up for the moment so Alex was able to eat his breakfast sandwich in peace before it started up again. He was nearly to Mel’s farmhouse when a crack of lightning went across the sky and the bottom fell out of the cloud. Racing up to the porch for cover, Alex turned toward the farm to see the rain approach, falling in a sheet that blanketed its path until it fell on the farmhouse.  _ Beautiful _ , he thought, sighing contentedly before remembering why he was there. 

Alex knocked on Mel’s door but the only noise he heard was Ginger’s tiny bark. He waited several minutes before heading to the shed. If Mel left without him, her tools would be gone.  _ If she left without me, she’s really pissed… _

Checking the shed confirmed his fears so Alex sprinted up the mountain and headed for the mines, forgetting his umbrella and backpack on Mel’s porch. The rain beat down on his face like sharp pellets but he didn’t let it slow him down. He imagined Mel laying on the floor of the mines, mangled and bloody under a pile of stones and quickened his pace. At the entrance, he spotted a stairwell leading down as well as an elevator. He went over to the elevator and checked inside for a sign of muddy boot prints to indicate Mel used it but found none so down the stairs he went. 

The first floor was dimly lit by a few torches on wall sconces. The rocks looked like they had been pretty much cleared so Alex looked for the next pathway, finding another set of stairs leading down to another level. Alex continued this way until he got to the fifth level, finding a filthy Mel covered in coal and rock dust swinging a pickaxe with perfect precision. She was working next to an elevator shaft, presumably finishing up before taking the lift back up. 

Relief swept over Alex in waves until he got closer and noticed her sway slightly, stop for a moment to shake her head and continue swinging. Two more heavy swings and a loud grunt later, Mel fell to her hands and knees in exhaustion leaving the pickaxe to fall heavily to the ground. She struggled to pick up the iron ore that had been freed from the rock and stuffed it inside her pack. 

All of this seemed to happen in slow motion until Alex saw Mel’s body slump in a heap on top of her bag. Suddenly, everything was in hyper focus and he was kneeling beside her, cradling her in his lap. Mel had a nasty-looking gash across her left thigh that she had covered with a piece of fabric she tore from her shirt sleeve and a few scratches across her face that weren’t deep but needed to be cleaned. 

“I’ve got you, Mel,” Alex said gently as he lifted her limp body in his arms. 

He turned toward the lift and he heard Mel groan in protest. She tried pushing against his chest to be put down but the strength had left her, too exerted from the mountains of ore she had torn through. Alex set his jaw and looked at her with a face that said he would take no arguments when she’d been so stupid putting herself in danger. 

“My bag,” Mel managed to say, giving up any hope of walking out of here on her own. 

Without a word, Alex gently laid her in the corner of the lift and went back to get her bag. A moment later he tossed it down in the opposite corner, closed the rusty grate and pressed what he hoped was the button that took them back up. The elevator shuddered once and squeaked it’s way upward at a painfully slow pace. 

Mel watched Alex dust the rust off his hands before turning back to her and squat down to check her for more injuries, refusing to look her in the eye.  _ He’s pissed and with good reason _ …  _ but so am I, _ she thought before closing her eyes. 

“Hey,” Alex’s sharp voice cut through her drowsiness, making her eyes pop open. “Stay awake until I get you to Harvey’s,” he commanded gently. 

Once Mel nodded, Alex sat down next to her and rifled through her pack for water but found none. He sighed and slammed the flap shut in frustration. If he hadn’t left Mel’s house in such a hurry and forgotten his own bag, he’d have water for her. Running his hand through damp hair, Alex finally looked Mel in the eyes. He saw a mix of pain, anger and fear.

Mel was watching Alex closely, unable to do much else. She knew what she had to do so she swallowed hard, mouth dry and sticky.

“I’m sorry,” Alex said suddenly, looking away from Mel when the stabbing feeling in his heart twisted, “I shouldn’t have said anything to Sam after you asked me not to.”

“Why did you?” Mel croaked. It hurt to talk but she needed to know. She thought of Alex as her best friend but clearly he didn’t feel that way about her.

“Because I’m an asshole…and a big, dumb, overprotective jerk that thought he was doing the right thing,” Alex admitted with a bitter chuckle. Some friend he was turning out to be. 

“You forgot arrogant,” Mel added, unable to stop the corners of her mouth from curling upward.

Alex frowned at her before cracking up, “Hey! That was a cheap shot…but you’re right. It’s been difficult, Mel. I’ve never amounted to much but being great at gridball. My dad did a number on my mom and me... always saying I was weak. He was nothing but a mean drunk. I can’t even call him a man.” 

Mel put her hand on his to reply but the elevator came to a jolting stop. Alex popped up and opened the grate, wiping the rust particles off his hands and onto his jeans. He placed Mel’s bag outside the elevator behind a big rock so it would be out of view and came back for her. Scooping her up in his arms and lifting with his legs, their eyes met briefly as Mel put an arm around Alex’s neck and he felt his pulse quicken. 

“Hold on tight,” Alex grunted as he shifted her position to get a better hold and hurried down the mountain toward town.

The rain was still falling, making the path slick with mud but Alex was able to maintain his footing at a steady pace, only slipping once. His concentration was so focused that he didn’t notice that Mel’s eyes had shut until they rounded the general store. 

Alex fumbled with the clinic door handle and managed to swing it open just as a lightning cracked across the sky. Maru, who was sitting at the front counter, startled to her feet and ran to get the doctor before Alex could say anything. 

“Come on back,” Maru told Alex, holding the door open for them moments later. 

Alex, out of breath, couldn’t talk so he nodded and carried Mel down the hall, her dead weight and rain-soaked clothes making it more difficult. Harvey directed them to a room where Alex laid her in the first bed they came to. As soon as he stepped back, Dr. Harvey set straight to work checking Mel’s vital signs, looking for more wounds and cleaning up the blood-soaked rag on her thigh. 

“Fortunately, there’s no need for stitches, the cuts are not too deep, but she should stay off her leg for a few days,” Harvey told Alex as he cut away the pants leg, cleaned the wound and got his sutures out. “Can you tell me what happened?” the doctor asked, peering up at Alex over his glasses. 

Feeling awkward towering above him, Alex took a seat on the other side of the bed. “We were supposed to go mining together but Mel went ahead. By the time I got there, she collapsed. I kept her awake until we got out of the mines but she must’ve fallen asleep while we came to town,” he explained, suddenly drained of any energy he had left. Running his hands through his hair he asked, “Is she gonna be okay, doc?”

Harvey grinned warmly, “Plenty of rest and rehydration for a few days and Miss Mel will be good as new. You did good, Alex.” Standing up, he pushed his glasses up on his nose, “If you’d like to stay, you may. You can wash up in the bathroom and I’ll stay with her until you get back.”

Alex nodded and got up. He felt extra guilty that Mel had gotten injured to the point that she couldn’t care for her farm. As he washed up, he thought, _I’ll just have to work extra hard to make it up to her._ He splashed clean water on his face and wiped it dry with a paper towel. Staring back at his reflection, he heard the voices of doubt and negativity growing... the ones that tell him he’s worthless and can’t do anything right. _My_ _grandparents think I’m worth something… and so does Mel._

When Alex returned to Mel’s side, Harvey was cleaning up the last of Mel’s scrapes and gave him a knowing grin. “She’s all yours,” he said, standing up, “Call out for Maru or me if she wakes up.”

“Thanks, doc,” Alex replied as he took his seat from earlier. 

Mel was sleeping peacefully but looked so fragile with all the bandages and the wire hooked up to her arm. She started to frown and groaned but Alex took her hand in his and stroked her forehead saying, “Shhh, I’m here, Mel.”

Immediately she relaxed, resting her face in his direction. Alex felt his heart warm, starting to race and his stomach fluttered. He wasn’t sure what to make of the way he felt just now but he was too tired to worry about it. For now, he rested his forehead on their hands, afraid to let go and rested with her. 

Alex lifted his head when he heard someone enter and was met with Sam’s confused face. Immediately, he let go of Mel’s hand and stood. “Sam,” he acknowledged, taking a step back from the bed although everything in his body screamed for him to stay with Mel. He had almost convinced himself that Mel would get better faster if he held her hand until Sam showed up.  _ Her boyfriend… _

“Alex,” Sam replied before coming over to the bed opposite Alex and looked down at Mel’s peaceful face. His brows crinkled in concern as he placed a ginger kiss on her forehead. He looked over at Alex. “Sebastian said you carried Mel down from the mines. I didn’t realize she was this bad, though,” he whispered, “What did the doc say?”

Alex couldn’t look at Sam right now without feeling a rash of jealousy so he looked at Mel instead, “She’s exhausted and dehydrated. A few days bed rest and she’ll be fine. That last part is not gonna sit well with her… the bed rest.” 

Sam sniffled, “If you can help out on the farm all the time, so can I. After all, I  _ am _ her boyfriend.”

Alex couldn’t help but feel like Sam was baiting him on purpose after their chat. He wanted to bite back, to punch his face, but he couldn’t stand the thought of Mel being mad at him again. 

“You might be her ‘boyfriend’,” Alex said quietly with air quotes, “but I’m her  _ best _ friend. See ya later, Sam.” 

He turned to leave when he noticed Harvey standing at the door, a slight frown on his face as he studied the young men. The testosterone in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. 

The doctor cleared his throat, “Here are Mel’s prescriptions; one to fight any infection and one for any pain she may feel.” He sat the bag down on the foot of the bed, not wanting to step in the middle of anything else.

Alex looked at the bag and then to Sam. He didn’t trust that guy to make sure Mel remembered to take her medicine on time but what other choice did he have? And why was he so fucking upset about this whole situation? 

“When will Mel be released and when will she need her meds next?” Alex asked Harvey, weighing the options before making a decision. 

The doctor scratched the back of his neck as he thought, looking between Sam and Alex before addressing the latter, “I’d like to keep Mel here overnight but she could go home as early as late this afternoon and she’s not due to take the infection medication for six hours. She can take the pain medication as needed but no less than every four hours.”

Alex nodded his thanks and looked to Sam as he picked up the bag, “I’ll drop this off at Mel’s and check on Ginger. Can you handle hanging out here for a while?”

Sam chuckled sarcastically, “Yeah, I think I can handle taking care of my girl.”

Alex smirked and said, “We’ll see,” as he headed out of the clinic. 


	10. Things Aren’t Always What They Seem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Mel and Sam seem to be obliviously happy with each other, Alex starts dealing with the jealousy that seems to be driving him crazy and into the arms of his ex.

Mel sat on the porch watching Alex show Sam how to properly tell which of the produce were ready to pick, what was a weed and what was not, how to water the roots so you didn’t get any on the leaves, check for blight and care for the chickens. Ginger napped in her lap, the warm little fuzz ball that hadn’t left her side since she got home this morning. 

At first, they were doing great but as the morning pressed on, the more tired Sam got and the more mistakes he made. It was grueling watching Sam do some things wrong and right after Alex had corrected him. Alex’s patience was already thin but Mel could tell he was trying - they both were. 

After another try at cleaning out the chicken coop, Sam finally threw the shovel down and came out. A look of frustration and hopelessness on his face. When he looked up at Mel, tears threatening to grace his tired face, he tried giving her a smile but his beautiful lips were already frowning too deeply. 

Mel beckoned to Sam with an encouraging smile so he lumbered toward the steps, exaggerating every stair. Alex’s disgruntled self left the coop shortly after, casting a frown toward Sam before heading to the shed to put the tools away. 

“I don’t know how you do all of this... every single day,” Sam complained, coming over to give Mel a kiss on her unwounded cheek. He grunted in an effort to sit next to her. 

Mel combed through his hair which had laid down due to the humidity, “I appreciate that you’re out here at least trying.” 

Sam reached up to hold her hand and brought it to his lips. “Trying, yes. Doing well…” he said, shaking his head. Then, lowering his voice, he added, “I hate to admit it, but I’m glad Alex knows what he’s doing or else your farm would be screwed.”

Mel laughed and smiled down at her Sam, “You may be right but your talents are more of the musical kind.” 

Alex came around the side of the porch, trying not to notice the way Mel looked at Sam because it admittedly hurt. He missed having someone look at him that way but there was no way he was going back to Haley. 

“Yeah, drummer boy, don’t quit your day job,” Alex jabbed, barely paying attention to the warning on Mel’s face. 

Sam shook his head and snickered, “I play the guitar, dumbass.” 

Mel was tired of this after hearing it all day, “Knock it off already or, so help me, I will get up out of this chair…”

Alex smiled playfully at Mel and held his hands up in surrender, “Ease up, Mel. I promise I’ll try to be nice but that’s not where my talents are.” Before Mel or Sam could protest, he dodged into the house to get Mel’s prescriptions and a glass of water. 

He came back out a several minutes later to find Sam leaned over Mel, kissing her sweetly before murmuring his goodbye in her ear. She watched him go with a dreamy look on her face that soured Alex’s stomach.  _ This is all my fault… if I had just kept my mouth shut in the first place, I wouldn’t have to watch… THAT, _ Alex reminded himself.

“I got you your afternoon round, Mel,” Alex said, holding out the glass and the bag with her meds. 

Mel snapped out of her new-love stupor and turned her sweet smile to him. For half a second, he wished her smile was because of him and not as an afterglow of some other guy.

“Thanks, Alex,” she replied, gesturing to the seat on the other side of her porch table. “Have a seat.”

Alex obeyed to his surprise and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “What’s up?”

Mel swallowed one pill and then the next before speaking, “I want to apologize. At first, I was really angry at you for speaking to Sam about us after I asked you not to. I had a right to be…” She shifted in her seat, making Ginger stir in her sleep but a moment before the pup settled in again. 

Alex nodded his head in agreement but didn’t speak. He listened as she continued, “I overreacted,” Mel admitted, “I’m used to my brothers scaring off any guy that was remotely interested in dating me and I was afraid you were going to do the same.” 

“Look, I get it. I want you to be happy and if that dorky guitar dude does that, so be it,” Alex replied, the words thick in his mouth. 

He truly did want Mel to be happy but she deserved someone so much better than Sam. He may be a nice guy but if Penny, the sweetest and most forgiving girl he’d ever met, broke up with Sam for good, that didn’t look good for him. But, Mel’s smile at his acceptance was worth it. 

“He does,” Mel said with a happy sigh, “Sam even told me I was his muse.”

And there it was. After Alex had just found balance, a way to get past his dislike of Sam, the rug gets jerked out from under him.  _ His muse… _ How many times had he heard Sam say the same thing to Penny? All the anger from before came rushing back and he heard his pulse loud in his ears, like a rushing river. 

He looked up and found Mel mouthing words but he couldn’t hear them. She leaned over and touched him lightly on the arm. As soon as she touched him the swooshing sound stopped immediately and he was able to ground himself. 

“Are you alright?” Mel asked, a worried frown on her face. 

“Yeah, just tired,” he half-lied, trying to cover it with a warm smile and patted her hand. He  _ was _ tired, mentally, but it was so much more than just that...

Mel still had a look of concern on her face but she dropped it and sat back taking her hand with her. She repeated, “What you said yesterday… about your dad. I wanted to tell you that I see so much of your grandparents in you. They’ve done a great job of raising you, Alex. I don’t think you need to worry about anything that creep said.”

Alex wasn’t sure how to respond. He had almost convinced himself that what his dad told him most of his life was true but Mel’s words struck a chord. That statement reverberated straight to his core, giving him a glimpse of the man he could be; that simple proclamation validated all the times he shut the negative words the ghost of his dad spat at him. He wanted so much to pick Mel up and hug her so tight but he didn’t. Instead, he tucked away that joy, that elation, for another day. 

“I needed to hear that. Thank you for being the best friend I never thought I could have,” Alex sniffled, standing abruptly. “Look, I gotta get home and help Grandpa George with something but I’ll be back later with dinner. Granny insisted,” he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

First, he helped Mel inside by carefully wrapping one of her arms around his waist while he was her crutch. They headed to the couch but before he could turn to leave, Mel had her other arm around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest. Reluctantly, Alex wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin atop her head. Her hug warmed him to his core and he found himself wishing this moment wouldn’t end. The only other time he felt  _ real, _ like a useful person, was when he was around Mel and she was always pushing him to be his best while still accepting him, failures and all. It was different from the way his grandparents made him feel but equally as powerful.

“Thank you,” Mel simply said before letting him go. She smiled warmly up at him and added, “I’ll see you in a few hours.” 

Alex stepped back and returned her warm smile but it didn’t meet his eyes. Sadness overwhelmed him but he couldn’t shake it this time. He waved goodbye, scratched Ginger on his way out and started jogging home, the scent of strawberries lingering on his shirt, leaving a Mel-sized hole in his heart. 

———

Grandpa George gathered up his checkbook while Alex grabbed Mel’s backpack full of ore and they headed to Clint’s. It dumbfounded Alex that his grandpa would spend his money to have Mel’s sprinklers made when the man wouldn’t spend a penny to fix the roof of his own house but he didn’t say a word to sway him. Alex wanted to do this for Mel, and would have spent his own money had he any to spend. 

Clint welcomed them as soon as they came in with as warm a greeting as usual, which amounted to the warmth of a bridge troll. The man was born miserable as far as Alex was concerned but he worked magic with metal, making some of the most beautiful art and tools that outlasted generations so people put up with him. 

Grandpa George was immune to Clint’s particular kind of grump, though, and was set to haggle. He may have been willing to fork over the cash but he wouldn’t part with a cent more than he thought he could get away with. 

“Alex,” George commanded, sizing Clint up as his grandson brought the bag of ore over and placed it on the counter. He was in his zone when he opened with, “We’re here for some sprinklers.”

After an hour long discussion about the different types of sprinklers, ore quality, workmanship and prices, Clint and George finally came to an agreement. “They’ll be ready in three days,” Clint reiterated, wiping the sweat from his brow with the rag in his back pocket.

“Good,” George said as he handed over half the cash now with the other half at pickup, “We’ll see you then.” Wheeling himself out of the blacksmith’s shop, Alex’s grandpa puffed his chest out proudly.

Alex smiled to himself and shook his head, remembering what Mel had said about his upbringing.  _ If she had seen grandpa today, she’d understand where I get my stubbornness from, _ he thought as they made their way home. Opening the door, the boys were hit with such aromas that their stomachs rumbled in unison.  _ I have my grandpa’s appetite, too,  _ he laughed internally.

Granny was in the kitchen setting the table when they entered. The triumphant look on her husband's face told her things went well at Clint’s. “Well done, dear! Mel will be so surprised when you tell her!” she said happily. A sudden thought came about, making Evelyn’s eyes sparkle, “We should have her over for dinner to tell her.”

Alex went to the sink to wash up and gave his grandma a half-grin, “I’ll tell her tonight you guys want her over for dinner this weekend.” 

They sat and ate quietly, discussing the weather, flower arrangements for the Flower Dance this weekend and news from the morning paper. Later, Alex cleaned off the table while Evelyn packed a plate for Mel. 

“Thanks, gran. See you guys later,” Alex hugged his grandparents before heading out. 

As he crossed the square, Alex saw Haley coming back from the forest with her camera but she didn’t seem to notice him. Thankful for the days of peace after their pity fuck, Alex resumed his jog to Mel’s farm.  _ Maybe we can go fishing after farm work is done. I can push her down to the river or the pond in the wheelbarrow, _ Alex thought with a smile as he pictured Mel’s smiling face and the roaring laughter that would come with such a thing. He shook his head and chuckled to himself. 

Alex almost missed hearing the music coming from Mel’s warmly lit cabin and stopped short of the porch. He listened to hear the last bit of a song and Sam’s voice saying something he couldn’t make out.  _ This is just something you’re gonna have to get used to being friends with Mel.  _

Making his way up the steps, Alex couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of their embrace. Mel was cuddled up in a blanket on the couch and Sam had his free hand cupping her cheek while he kissed her. The tightening in his chest was too much that Alex couldn’t breathe. 

Quickly setting the food down next to the front door, Alex took the stairs two at a time and as soon as his feet hit the gravel, he started speed-walking back to town. He heard Ginger barking behind him but didn’t look back when the door opened. Surely, Sam noticed the food and Alex hurrying away. He didn’t want to see the smug look on guitar boy’s face knowing he’d caught them kissing. Tears stung at Alex’s eyes but he forcefully wiped them away.  _ Mel can date whoever she wants but… why him?  _

When he came to the Pelican Town sign, Alex stopped to text Mel. He decided that since he had already interrupted them, it would be less embarrassing tomorrow if he owned up to it. ‘Dropped dinner off on the porch since you have company. Granny wants you to come over for dinner Friday.’ 

She answered back a few minutes later, ‘Thanks. See you tomorrow?’

‘Yeah.’ 

Alex stared at the last text he sent. It made him angry. Why was he punishing Mel for finding happiness when she was living the way she wanted? Standing up abruptly, Alex crossed the empty lot behind Sam’s house and cut between his and Emily’s place. He needed to see Haley. She was the only person who knew how to handle him when he raged like this. Raising his hand, his fist hovered over the wood as he hesitated.  _ Is this really what I want?  _ Seeing Mel’s lips covered by Sam’s tore at his heart. He missed Haley, that was all this was. Mel and he had the perfect friendship going but as soon as she gets romantic with someone, he’s remembering what he had with Haley. 

Softly knocking, the door opens and Haley looks genuinely surprised to see him. She gives him a friendly smile anyway and moves to the side so he can enter. 

“What brings you by this evening?” Haley asked as she shut the door behind them. When she turned to face Alex, he wasn’t sitting down but looked at her as though he would explode. She knew that look all too well but this one was different, there was something sad about him. 

Alex came up to Haley and looked down at her, the hunger in his eyes shielding the sadness she saw before, “Is Emily home?”

“No, wh...” Haley started, interrupted by Alex’s lips smashing into hers. 

The two of them were like a muscle memory. They knew exactly how the other liked it and the heated need for touch and release took over. Thirty minutes later, Alex was sitting on the edge of Haley’s bed, putting his clothes back on. Haley slipped into an oversized t-shirt and came up behind him, arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders. 

“So, do you wanna talk about it?” Haley asked softly, running her fingers across his chest. 

Alex stopped her hand by placing his on top of hers. Something about Haley seemed different but he wasn’t in a chatty mood, “No.”

Haley pulled her arms back and crawled off the bed to stand in front of him, arms crossed, “Then why are you here, Alex? This doesn’t have anything to do with a certain friend being romantically involved with a certain blonde boy does it?”

Alex scoffed, “Why would that bother me? Maybe I just missed you, Hale.” Even as the words came out of his own mouth, he wasn’t buying it and neither was Haley. 

“You’ve changed. And, dare I say, I have, too. So, unless you want to get back together, we can’t keep doing this,” Haley told him, sitting on the bed next to Alex. 

Alex put his face in his hands, “You’re right. I’m sorry… I just didn’t know where else to go. I can’t talk to my grandparents about it.”

Haley picked up his hand and held it between hers, “You can talk to me. I promise I will just listen.”

Alex took a deep breath, “I want to punch the shit out of Sam’s face. He’s not good enough for someone like Mel but she says he makes her happy. Why is it so hard to accept that?” His heart pounded in his chest as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He felt his jaw flex. 

Haley smiled knowingly. She had spent a lot of time in nature since waking up alone after the Egg Festival. Most of that time was spent reflecting on her life and what she wanted to do with it. Haley knew that she and Alex weren’t supposed to be together anymore but he still seemed lost. 

“Maybe you should spend some time alone, find out what  _ you _ want. Yoba knows I never let you have any free time,” Haley said quietly, a bitter chuckle escaping her lips, “What I mean is, it’s been helpful to me… picking up old hobbies… It’s a great time to reflect on yourself and your past to know where your future lies. Or some shit like that, I dunno, something my sister said, but she’s right.”

Alex turned to look at Haley and saw that she, too, had changed... for real this time. There were no ulterior motives, no manipulations… just Haley… and she looked to be happy. He kissed her on the side of her head and stood up to finish getting dressed. 

“So, you picked up photography again?” He asked, zipping up his jeans and looking for his shirt. 

Haley hummed, “Yeah. Emily said my aura is more uniform now, more pink. I heard you started fishing again.”

Alex pulled his shirt over his head, “Yeah. Mel got me back into it.” He remembered the day vividly and smiled to himself. 

Haley noticed the slight curl to his mouth and finally put the pieces together.  _ Alex really DOES like Mel. _ The poor guy, he needed to know and she was about to tell him but something stopped her. Maybe it was all the spiritual stuff her sister had been sharing with her or maybe he wasn’t ready to hear it. 

“Hey, I’m just glad you’re fishing again. If it makes you happy, keep at it, right?” Haley said, nudging his leg with her foot before getting up to stretch. 

When Alex nodded, she reached down and grabbed his socks and shoes, putting them in his hands. Haley turned him around and pushed him toward her door, “Now. You get outta here and go ask your granny to bake you some cookies.”

Alex gave her a goofy smile, happy to be civil with Haley for the first time in a long time, “Yeah, I think I will.” He started to leave but turned back to her, “And, Hale? Thanks for listening.”

Haley’s smile was warm and genuine, something he would have to get used to. “Any time. You’re gonna be okay, don’t forget that. I’m here with an open ear when you need it. Now get going.”

Alex was glad he stopped by Haley’s after all. It didn’t end exactly the way he thought but better. Still, there was the Sam hurdle he had to get over… _for Mel’s sake_ _as well as our friendship._


	11. Pieces of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mel spends the week with her two favorite guys helping on the farm but when Alex makes a discovery, Sam hopes she doesn't figure it out soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I go again... posting two chapters in a week! Haha! I've enjoyed reading the comments and seeing the kudos so Thank You for reading the story so far. <3

The rest of the week flew by and Mel was fully recovered by Friday, able to help a little. She had to admit that it was nice having her two favorite guys dote on her all week, especially since they had come to some unspoken truce. Yet, Mel couldn’t help but feel sad that things had changed between her and Alex. Perhaps it was the way he seemed a little distant or that he had taken up fishing again without her. Whatever it was, Mel told herself that as long as her friend was happy, that’s all that mattered. She couldn’t expect him to hang around with her and her boyfriend all the time anyway. 

Alex was putting tools away while Sam went inside with Mel to get cleaned up. Friday nights were his time with Abigail and Sebastian so he wanted to spend as much time with Mel as he could. The fact that she was going over to the Mullner’s for dinner may have had a little something to do with how sweet and loving Sam was today. 

“I just want to make sure you don’t forget me tonight,” Sam murmured playfully as he held Mel around the waist and rubbed noses with her. 

“Never gonna happen,” Mel replied with a sweet kiss, her arms around his neck, fingers playing with his neck hair and giggling. When Alex walked in, he stared at the ground and cleared his throat to announce his presence.

“Everything’s put away and Granny just called to say she wants you to come over early. Something about finding a box of pictures,” Alex announced, swallowing his heart and pushing it down like he’d practiced all week. 

Mel tore her eyes away from Sam to look at Alex, what he said sinking in. She noticed he kept his eyes focused on Ginger as he busied himself petting the pup.  _ He feels awkward seeing us like this. _ Before she could answer, Alex scooped the tiny dog up and stepped outside.

Looking back at Sam with her big blue eyes, “Do you know what this means? Granny may have found pictures of my biological family!” Mel said excitedly, squeezing him tight. 

Sam could hardly breathe but he managed to get out the words, “That’s great news.” 

Mel loosened her hold on him, “Sorry, I forget how strong I am sometimes.” Leaning back to make sure her boyfriend was breathing, Sam caught her in a passionate kiss that left her breathless. 

“There,” he said after pulling back, “now we’re even.” The smile on his face told her she gave him the reaction he was looking for. “You’ll call me when you get home?” he asked with a kiss on the tip of Mel’s nose, making her giggle.

She simply bit her bottom lip and nodded, bringing her hands down to his chest.  _ He is so beautiful, and sweet. Funny and talented… and he’s my boyfriend,  _ Mel thought giddily. There wasn’t a time she could remember being so smitten with a guy that breathing the same air as him made her fly. Even the last guy she had dated seemed to be okay but he wasn’t even close...

Sam nuzzled Mel’s neck and gave her a series of playful kisses that caused her to giggle uncontrollably until she let out a snort. Her face turned three shades redder than her strawberry blonde hair and Sam stopped immediately. She tried to hide her face from him, more embarrassed than she had ever been, but he lifted her chin. 

When Mel pulled her face away so Sam wouldn’t see the tears welling up in her eyes, he hugged her to him, “Please don’t be embarrassed, Melody. Honestly, I thought it was cute.”

Alex, who had gotten impatient waiting on Mel, came back in to get her. When he saw her red face and tears, he started toward Sam with the intent to kick him out for upsetting Mel. She saw the rage on Alex’s face and stood between them, her hands planted firmly up on Alex’s shoulders. 

“I snorted, Alex. Sam was trying to make me feel better,” Mel said when he looked down at her. His brown eyes came into focus as he remembered the first time she snorted in front of him. Mel gave him a warm smile and let go of his shoulders, watching a wave of understanding pass over him. The sadness left in Alex’s eyes haunted her. 

As soon Alex backed off, Sam came back to Mel’s side. “I’ll talk to you later,” he whispered, giving her a quick peck on the cheek and flashed an encouraging smile before heading out. As he passed Alex, he gave him a curt nod out of respect for his girlfriend. 

The walk to town was quiet but not in the comfortable way they were used to. Alex wasn’t sure what to say and he definitely didn’t want to talk about Sam. Mel must have read his mind because she finally spoke up about halfway down the gravel path. 

“So, Granny said she found pictures? I wonder if there are any of me from when I was a baby?” Mel wondered aloud, anxious to break the silence. She missed the deep conversations they were prone to have. 

Alex shrugged his shoulders and looked at her from the side, “Could be. Granny has so many pictures, tins full of them... She keeps them around the house but forgets where she put them.”

“Cool, cool,” Mel replied, dreading the uncomfortable silence that was creeping back in. 

“I hooked up with Haley,” Alex blurted out, unsure why he would admit that. His face turned red when Mel slowed to a stop for a second before regaining her pace. 

“Okay, that’s, uh… you mean… you had sex or...?” Mel asked carefully, not liking where this conversation was leading. When he nodded she asked, “When… when did this happen?”  _ Why does it matter to you, anyway? It was bound to happen sooner or later with the way you and Sam make out all the time… _

Alex rubbed the back of his neck, “After the egg festival.” He watched Mel’s reaction, a frown and slow nod of acknowledgement, “And yesterday.”

Mel’s frown deepened but she took a deep breath and raised her eyebrows in curiosity, “Are you happy? I mean, being with Haley again. Does it make you happy?”

Alex coughed into his arm, the dust from the dry dirt and gravel dust being kicking up with their steps was drying out his throat. “Uh, kinda. We’re not together, though. Yesterday was the last time. But we, uh, had a good talk afterwards. She gave me some good advice, actually.”

Mel felt a wave of relief that she shrugged off, “Oh, yeah? What kind of advice?” 

“Do what makes me happy,” Alex answered.

Mel gave him that smile again. The one that makes his heart hula hoop and his stomach backflip. He took that feeling and tucked it away for later, like he had done many times before without realizing. This time, he made sure it went in the box permanently engraved, ‘Mel’, which was held in his heart. 

——-

Granny Evelyn came back into the kitchen after taking George his dessert and brought a plate of cookies over to the table, placing them center table before sitting down. She held out a small, metal box to Mel, her hand shaking slightly.

Mel looked at granny and waited on her nod before reaching out to take the box from her. “Is this what Alex told me about, granny?” she asked, quietly. 

“I found it in the closet today. Open it,” Evelyn said gently, her eyes sparkling happily as they do.

Mel looked down at the tin box in her hands and swallowed before slowly opening it. The top picture was of an old man wearing dirty overalls and a happy smile. She could only assume it was her grandfather. In his hands he held a tiny baby no more than a few weeks old. Tears welled up in her eyes when she flipped the picture over and saw her name printed below his. 

A sob escaped her lips and she continued to look through them, one by one, taking time to imprint the image of each scene in her mind. It was as though she were unlocking her own memories. Tiny spots of light were cast on her clouded past like rays of sun shining through a cloudy day. Alex and Granny watched quietly to see Mel’s story unfold. 

“It’s almost as though I can play these pictures back like a movie reel,” Mel sniffled and smiled through the tears, “Like when my foster family would tell stories of their parents and grandparents, but my story is here… the story my parents would have told me…” She carefully placed the pictures back in the box and closed the lid. 

Granny Evelyn smiled and placed her hand on Mel’s, “Your story isn’t just here in this box, it’s here in this town. Your mother grew up on that farm and met your father while traveling abroad. Pelican Town  _ is _ your home.”

Mel stood up and came around the table to hug Evelyn. She cried in the woman’s shoulders, feeling more connected than she had her whole life. Furthermore, Mel felt a stronger connection to Mrs. Mullner in that she was the path to her past. When Mel stopped crying, she excused herself to the restroom to clean up. 

Alex got up immediately where he and his grandparents gathered in the living room with a giant box and waited on Mel. She came back down the hall with a peaceful look on her face until she wandered into the living room, seeing that everyone was there. Her eyes looked over the grinning faces of her adopted family and fell on the huge box in front of them. 

“Alex told us how much you needed sprinklers before summer,” Grandpa George started, motioning for Alex to remove the fabric cover draped over the box. “So he went back to the mines to fetch your ore and I had a talk with Clint. He gave me a fair price so, with the iron ore you dug, we got you your sprinklers.”

Mel was speechless. Her pride damaged a little, wanting to be able to provide for herself but this was too generous. “I don’t know what to say, grandpa George…” she whispered as she peered into the box and lifted a sprinkler. She suddenly felt a heavy weight tied to her stomach, pulling her down by her shoulders.  _ It isn’t right. I already owe the Mullners so much. _ .. “I promise I’ll pay you back the difference. I may have gotten the ore but Alex saved my life and has been helping me on the farm. If anything, I owe you.” She placed the sprinkler back in the box and started toward the front door.  _ What is coming over me? _

Alex looked to his grandparents, just as confused as he. Without another thought, he went after her. She was walking fast but Alex caught up with her behind the Saloon. “Mel!” he said loud to get her attention. 

She started shaking her head furiously, braids flapping like whips across her back. “I can’t. Just… leave it,” she choked out, unable to stop the tears that streamed steadily down her cheeks. 

Alex wasn’t giving up or leaving it alone. He sprinted, stopping in front of her and scooped her up in his hug, petting her head. “No. You can’t just run out like that. Grandpa doesn’t just spend money like that unless someone deserves it. And you do, Mel,” he said, holding her until she nodded against him.

He finally let go of Mel and cradled her face in his hands, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Alex could see the confusion in her eyes and wished he knew what was going on behind those troubled eyes; why she couldn’t accept the fact that she had done so much more for his family than she knew. He felt a pull toward Mel that he hadn’t noticed before… though, it felt like it had always been there. Every time she ended up crying in his arms, every time she smiled at him or challenged him, got excited about gridball… at first it was just about being comfortable in her presence but now... The pieces started to fall together...

Mel quieted and watched the thoughts race around Alex’s mind, his handsome face frozen in the dark, lit only by the streetlight on the corner. Her face warmed around his hands, still cradling her, and she felt that warmth fill her all the way to her toes. She relished this new feeling until Alex dropped his hands and backed away. The distance between them was only a few feet but it felt like a deep chasm that grew wider as the warmth Alex had given her faded.

“I’ll bring the sprinklers over tomorrow and show you how to set them up,” he said, backing away even though he wanted to explore things further.  _ But she’s with Sam… I won’t put her in that position, to choose between us,  _ he thought sadly. 

Mel nodded, her lips pursed in thought as she stuffed her hands in her back pockets and turned toward the farm. Whatever had just gone on between the two of them was much more deep than what friends shared and she wasn’t sure what to think of that.  _ We’ll unpackage that at a later time... _

With a deep breath, Mel continued across the square, completely lost in thought when someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind. Startled, she jumped and swung her fist around. Sam deftly dodged it and put his hands up in surrender.

“Hey, babe! It’s just me!” Sam chuckled nervously, “Remind me not to do that again.” 

Mel felt embarrassed at almost punching her boyfriend and lowered her fist. Wrapping her arms around him, she mumbled into his chest, “I’m sorry. You caught me at a bad time... I have a lot on my mind.”

Sam returned her hug, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Just as he was leaving the Saloon, he heard Mel’s name being called out so he investigated and saw everything. Sam had seen the way Alex looked at her before and tonight confirmed what he already knew. What still worried Sam was if Mel felt the same way about Alex.

“It’s alright. Want me to walk you home and we can talk about it?” Sam offered with a warm grin that made her heart flutter.

Mel’s sweet smile, the one reserved only for him, eased Sam’s worry. “I’d like that,” she replied, taking his hand and lacing their fingers. She leaned on Sam’s shoulder and they started toward home. The brisk nightscape was full of life and Mel realized it was much later than she’d thought. 

“So, how was dinner?” Sam began, gently prodding so he didn’t seem nosy. 

“It was fine until we got to the pictures,” Mel recounted, the images still clear in her mind, “Then, I kinda cried and kept crying until I fell into my ‘Mel space’.”

Sam was curious but he didn’t ask, just nodded and listened. Mel noticed the confusion and explained, “My ‘Mel space’ is what I call the part of me that wants to do everything myself and not let people help me because I’m a big girl and because I  _ should _ be able to do it. In short, my shameful pride.”

“Ahh, okay. A lot of people are like that, Mel, so don’t beat yourself up. Hey, even I get that way with my music,” Sam replied with a smile.

“But you are  _ so _ talented. Don’t you dare belittle your music,” Mel said, stopping for effect. 

Sam lifted her chin to kiss her lips, “You’re pretty amazing yourself.” 

Mel melted into him and they embraced like they hadn’t seen each other all day. He knew all the right things to say at the right moments to make her knees weak and her heart flip and flutter.  _ Is this what it feels like to be in love? _ Mel wondered but a small nagging feeling in the bottom of her gut told her ‘not yet’. She decided she was  _ falling _ in love with Sam but it hadn’t been fully realized yet… not as long as whatever went on with Alex earlier had a hold of her. 

Sam, eager to make Mel forget anything -  _ or anyone _ \- else, pulled away with a teasing grin on his face. It said, ‘Come get me’.

“Sam!” Mel laughed as he walked backwards with his grin, beckoning her to catch up. She started after him so he turned and ran straight for her porch, stopping to sit on the middle step. 

“What took you so long?” Sam teased, a goofy grin spread across his face. 

Mel came up to him, standing face to face now that he was sitting and leaned in for a kiss. Sam wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap to straddle him. 

At first, Mel was upset about being manhandled but Sam’s intimate kiss melted all of that away. An involuntary moan left her lips when they parted for air, making Sam smile. 

“I like the music you make, Melody,” he whispered into her mouth, teasing another kiss but pulling back before their lips connected. He wanted to be with her so badly right now it drove him wild. They had only been dating a week though he’d been crushing on her for a month. 

Mel smiled and brought her hands around to his chest. “Please don’t tease me,” she begged, getting ready to stand up. Her emotions were all over the place and she was hot all of a sudden, especially in places she’d never felt hot before.  _ We’re moving a little fast… aren’t we? _

Sam brought her back to his lap with a kiss when she was halfway up, “I’m sorry, I’ll stop but don’t go away.” It was his turn to beg. 

Mel shook her head, “It’s late and I have a farm to work.”  _ He’s so cute when he begs but I really do have to get to bed soon.  _

The smile that crept up on Mel’s lips at Sam’s pouty face made him want to howl at the moon. He knew what the next part of their song was going to be and couldn’t wait to play it for her. Standing up in concession, Sam gave her a playful kiss on her cheek and kept kissing all the way down her neck back up the other side to her lips. He was like an excited puppy, making Mel giggle loudly again.

“Okay, okay! Stop!” Mel begged playfully. 

Sam started laughing, “I can’t help it. I’ve been crushing on you for a month. Now that I have you, I can’t stop kissing you.” 

Mel blushed bashfully, “Can you come over tomorrow for dinner? Maybe we can cuddle up on the couch with Ginger and watch a movie, too.” 

“Sounds great,” Sam answered before stealing another kiss. Mel watched as he walked down the center path of her farm. He turned around and called out, “I’ll come over after I get off work!”

Mel smiled and called back, “Okay!”

She waited until Sam was out of sight, his silhouette swallowed by the dark of night, before she went inside. Ginger sniffed her sneakers and looked for another pair, presumably Sam’s, before barking up at Mel. 

“Hey, my sweet little girl. How would you like for Sam to come over tomorrow night?” Mel asked her little pup. 

Ginger replied by turning in a circle at her feet and begged to be picked up. Mel scooped up the pup and carried her around while she shut everything down and got ready for bed. As usual, while Mel was in the shower, Ginger laid on the bath mat just outside the tub. 

After her shower, Mel stood in front of her mirror with the towel tied around her. She thought about the way Alex and Sam made her feel tonight. One was deep, intense, and comfortable but disconnected while the other was sweet, passionate and breathtaking. Both were new to her so she focused on the latter… the way Sam made her feel. His kisses were the breath she needed daily, wild like the deep forest and hot like the sandy beach. They made her tingly all over and she craved to be touched all over, to feel what it’s like to… 

Mel opened her eyes and found her fingers poised above her lips. The passionate kiss she shared with Sam still lingering. Twenty two years old and still a virgin. Was it too early in their relationship to even be  _ thinking _ of going that far? That was part of why she was so eager to get out on her own. Part of the reason she wanted to get away from her foster family was to find where she belonged and because her brothers weren’t here to run every guy away. Here, thought, she was just Mel.


	12. Business as Usual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex decides to suffer... in silence... praying for the day Sam slips up while Mel feels like her friend is slipping farther away from her.

Alex went over to Mel’s first thing Saturday morning to show her how to install the sprinklers. They both focused on the work at hand and neither spoke of what happened last night, which Alex was grateful for. 

Last night after she left, he’d spent a lot of time thinking about the warmth from Mel’s face in his hands, the way it traveled through him to his core. Then there were Mel’s eyes, sparkling sapphires that saw only the good in him, saw him to the roots of his being and nourished him. All this was new… and terrifying. 

Part of Alex wished things would go back to the way they were before… since Mel was with Sam. The other part of him wanted to fight for Mel’s affection, to win her over like some prize… a trophy… but he knew she would be lost to him forever if he did. 

No, the best thing Alex could do for now was to suffer... in silence... praying for the day Sam slips up and Mel realizes he’s not the one she needs. Then he’ll be there with one of his magic hugs, as Mel called them. 

“That should do it,” Alex said with a grunt as he tightened the last screen and stood up, “Now, your turn.” He handed her the wrench and the next sprinkler. 

Mel gave Alex that competitive grin that sends his heart racing so he nodded encouragingly at her. She took her time, going step by step like he showed her and crunk down on the final screw, grunting for good measure before standing up.

Resting the wrench on her shoulder, Mel smiled triumphantly, “Piece of cake. And, uh, thanks for coming over to help after I bugged out last night. I hope your grandparents weren’t too upset.”

“They were surprised but understanding. I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Alex answered, getting ready to leave, “Look, sorry to come and run but I gotta go so, uh, later.” 

Mel nodded knowingly and came in for a goodbye hug like she usually does but Alex turned immediately and left. After trying so hard to be normal around after... whatever it was that happened last night, it didn’t work. She felt her friend slipping farther away; her nose started to tingle.  _ Nope. Too much to do, girl. We need to suck it up and figure it out later.  _

She didn’t even watch Alex leave, just put her head down and got to work. Now that she was on her own again, the farm would need every bit of time and energy she had to keep it up. It was becoming clear she needed to hire help this summer or she would eventually work herself to death. Looking over her huge farm and seeing all she still had left to do, Mel sighed.  _ Poor Sam is gonna get whatever energy is leftover if there is any _ …

——-

Alex stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed back to the house for his things. Since he had taken Haley’s advice about going fishing by himself, he’d had time to ponder his life. Alex decided to send off his application Monday for the Tunneler’s tryouts and stop wasting time. Until they called him, it would be best for everyone if he were scarce for a few days and fishing up on the mountain was the perfect place: quiet, peaceful and nowhere near Mel and Sam. 

Did he feel guilty going without his fishing buddy? Yes, but Mel was happy. He knew he would do anything for her… which was part of the problem. Last night Alex saw the confusion on her face as he worked out what he realized was a huge crush. Unfortunately, he had overheard Mel telling Granny that Alex reminded her of her brothers so there was no chance of ever becoming more than friends.  _ Damn… there it is _ , he thought, tossing in a line and sitting back.  _ No wonder I’m so pissed… I’m in the friend zone with no hope of going anywhere but a penalty box.  _

——-

Sam looked down at the text from Sebastian and gulped. It’s funny how four little words can make a perfectly normal day turn into an absolute nightmare… “ _ Don't forget the pizza _ ”

He had been so focused on Mel and helping with her farm all week that he’d forgotten his promise to Sebastian, his very best friend since fourth grade, to finish the scenario from last week tonight. 

Just last night, while they were at the Saloon, he reminded Sam, “Dude, don’t bail on me again. The campaign took me two months to build and this scenario is crucial to the endgame.”

“It’s cool, I’ll be there,” Sam had agreed, smiling in encouragement as he took his next shot, missing the pocket he was aiming for. 

Now, Sam sat in the employee room during his fifteen minute break and panicked. Mel was going to be pissed and he had been looking forward to cuddling up with her on the couch… kissing…  _ maybe even some top of the clothes stuff if she wanted because, let’s face it, last night got HOT when she was straddling me. _

Sam shook his head to clear those images so he could think. He’d promised Sebastian first and had spent all week with Mel already. If he just bit the bullet and told her now, she'd have all week to cool off before the Flower Dance. Then they could dance that stupid dance and afterwards…  _ Focus, Hooper, and text Mel. _

Sam typed his message a couple of times until he got it right and pressed send: “Hey, babe. Sorry to drop the bomb but I totally forgot I was going to Sebastian’s tonight.”

As an afterthought he added:

“Please don’t be mad… I’ll make it up to you, I promise. <3”

He waited what seemed like forever, the hands on the time clock ticking down, minute by minute, second by second. His phone dinged two minutes before clock in time.

“Ok.”

Sam’s heart sunk and he teared up. Why couldn’t he keep up with stuff better? Give him a song, he could memorize it in a day and play it again on demand months later. Give him a simple task to remember and he botched it almost every single time. 

His phone dinged a second time, lifting his spirits a bit.

“Have fun. See you later.”

Sam wiped his eyes and responded, “You really are the best, my Melody. I’ll come over tomorrow no matter what.”

“Hooper! My office, now!” Mr. Morris called out down the hall, not even bothering to come all the way to the employee room for him. “And don’t clock back in yet!”

_ Shit!  _ Sam cursed quietly when Mel texted back, “Bring lunch over?”

He scrambled to answer a simple, “Sure!” before heading to Morris’s office. His boss looked like he was gonna blow a gasket. _Uh, oh…_ _this isn’t going to be good…_

——-

Mel awoke the next morning barely able to move. Since Sam wasn’t able to come over yesterday, she worked all afternoon trying to figure out why the sprinklers weren’t pulling any water. Turns out the old well she had hooked them up to, separate from the well the house drew water from, had gone dry long ago. She had to find another watering hole and dig another well, working late into the night to drag herself inside at 1:00 a.m.

Making herself get out of bed with the reminder she would see her Sam today, Mel finished her morning routine and went to get a quick breakfast. While making toast, her cell phone buzzed on the countertop. 

Her face dropped as she read the text from Sam, “Babe, can you come over for dinner tonight? My jerk boss is making me work until 3 today…”

Mel groaned aloud and blew at the stray hair that had fallen in her face.  _ That’s alright, dinner with Sam’s family isn’t such a bad thing. We can hang out in his room later.  _ “Alright. Dinner it is. I miss you <3,” she replied, wondering if the last part was too… mushy? Apparently not because Sam answered back immediately with a kiss emoji that made her smile. 

Breakfast done and Ginger fed, the two headed outside to check on the sprinkler system before going to the chicken coop. When Mel saw that everything was freshly watered, she heaved a huge internal sigh of relief. The rest of the morning went surprisingly fast since most of her crops yielded yesterday and some were done for the season. 

“Nice, Ginger! Maybe I can make it to town for a quick bite and pop over to apologize to Granny and Grandpa Mullner,” Mel said happily to her pup. 

They went inside to clean up and Mel left her pup to guard the house. Humming quietly to herself, she made her way toward the Saloon but caught Alex coming down from the mountain with his fishing pole. Her heart sank at the sight, knowing that they were supposed to have gone fishing a week ago before the incident in the mines. Forgetting lunch, Mel jogged over to meet him. 

“Hey! The sprinklers worked wonderfully… after I dug another well, that is,” Mel said with a tired grin, her hands found their way to her back pockets. 

Alex smiled boyishly at Mel, knowing now that she only puts her hands in her back pockets like that when she’s nervous.  _ What’s she got to be nervous about? _ he wondered. “I’m glad they worked. Clint may be expensive but I can’t fault the man’s work,” he responded matter of fact, “Sucks you had to dig a new well, though.”

Mel rocked back on her heels, “It’s alright, too bad I can’t convince my biceps and back that. I may have overdid it…” She rolled her neck and stretched tall, hearing a pop in her back followed by a little relief. 

With a grin, Alex started toward his house again, “So, what brings you into town so early?” He swung the tackle box up to rest his shoulder, flexing his bicep in one easy, fluid motion. 

Mel gave him a half-grin, “I need to apologize to your grandparents. They’ve been so nice and welcoming since I got here… I shouldn’t have acted so bratty.” She cringed at the thought, reminded of her time with the Crane’s, the way they would pamper her made the teasing from her brothers worse. 

“Everything is fine, trust me, but I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you,” Alex replied with a friendly wink. If he was permanently in the friend zone, he decided to act the part. 

They were soon at the Mullner’s front door and, since Alex had his hands full, Mel went to open it for him but he stopped her by putting himself between her and the doorknob. The way he looked down at her made Mel’s face blush pink.

“Hey, let’s have some fun. I’ll go in first while you sneak in behind me. Then I’ll tell them I caught a big one and you pop out,” Alex said with a huge grin, eyes glinting playfully. 

Mel smiled and nodded, putting her finger over her lips and easing the door open. She came in behind Alex, quiet as a mouse, waiting just around the wall for him to make his announcement. When Alex said the phrase, Mel popped into the kitchen with a ‘cha-cha-cha!’

Granny jumped and grandpa George yelled but they both started laughing when they heard Alex and Mel giggling. 

“Oh, you two! Scared the dickens out of us!” Evelyn proclaimed, putting a hand to her heart and coming over to them. She swatted Alex playfully before pulling Mel into a hug. 

“Well, did ya catch anything else?” George asked with a chuckle, fingering the small cooler his grandson set down on the table. 

Alex’s smile fell, “Naw, fish weren’t biting today. Maybe I’ll catch one next week.” He then excused himself to get cleaned up, glancing at Mel before he went. 

She caught his eye and smiled encouraging, knowing it hurt Alex’s pride to show up without.  _ Maybe we can go fishing together tomorrow _ , Mel thought before turning her attention to the two before her. 

“Granny, grandpa,” Mel began, wringing her hands nervously while staring at a random spot on the floor, “I’m sorry about yesterday, running out after your generosity… and I don’t just mean the sprinklers.”

Granny sat her down at the table and held her hand, “Mel, dear, we understand… don’t we George?” She looked to her husband. 

He nodded with a warm smile, patting their hands and added, “It’s not easy starting out on your own  _ and _ trying to find your own way in a new town.”

Mel smiled so big her face hurt, tears welling up in her eyes, “I don’t know what I did to deserve you guys but I thank Yoba I can call you my Pelican Town family.” She stood back up to hug them just in time for Alex to rejoin them. 

“Group hug!” Mel said, beckoning him to join them. 

At first Alex hesitated, too much contact with Mel right now would undo all his progress this morning. The pure joy on her face made him give in but he made a show of it by rolling his eyes dramatically. It wasn’t too bad. Mel was happy, his grandparents were, too, and Alex didn’t feel like throwing away their friendship to make a fool of himself. The boundaries he’d made were holding. 

“Whew! I’m glad we’re all okay,” Mel said after the quick group hug ended, “I really should be going but I’ll see you Monday to get started on those flower arrangements.” She started to turn when Granny called her back.

“Wait! I almost forgot!” She exclaimed, remembering that she was going to call on Mel later this afternoon anyway. “Mayor Lewis wants twenty large baskets instead of ten. Would it be possible for us to get started tomorrow?”

Mel bit her bottom lip. She was hoping to go fishing with Alex but the Mullner’s had already done so much for her. “That’s fine, Granny,” she replied with a genuine smile, “See you tomorrow.”

Granny’s smile was worth it, “Then I’ll make sure there are plenty of cookies to keep our energy up!”

Mel headed out with a wave to everyone, lingering just long enough to glance at Alex.  _ Something has changed since Friday night,  _ she thought, noting the way he looked and stood with his arrogant swagger and confident facade. She could tell he was hiding back behind his fortress but why? She’d have to wait a week to find out. 


	13. Alpha Crush Minor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Mel and Sam's relationship starts to heat up, she wonders if they are moving too fast. Meanwhile, Alex struggles with being near his best friend now that he's admitted he has a crush on her.

After lunch, Mel had just enough time for a nice, hot bath to ease her aching muscles. She added some Epsom salts, apple cider vinegar and a few drops of lavender oil before settling in. It was heaven to her body and a happy sigh escaped her lips. She closed her eyes and soaked for who knows how long before there was a knock on the door. 

“Just a minute!” Mel called from the tub as she stood, looking for a bathrobe. The knock came again, causing Ginger to bark excitedly. 

Mel wrapped herself up, hair left down in her haste, to find Sam on the other side of the door wearing his blue Joja uniform. Even in his corny work clothes, Mel found he still had a way of making them look good. His handsome face turned a deep red when he saw how she was dressed and turned around immediately.

“I just got off, I mean.. uh, wow…” Sam stammered, trying to regain composure. Mel heard him take a deep breath and let it out before continuing, “I was hoping we could hang out before we went to my house for dinner.”

Mel blushed and pulled her robe closed, suddenly aware of how hot she felt. “Just...wait in the dining room, okay? I’ll get dressed and we can hang.”

Sam covered his eyes and let Mel lead him to a seat. “I’ll wait right here,” he promised, gulping and tugging at his collar. 

Mel placed a light kiss on his cheek. “I won’t be long,” she whispered and ran to her room, closing the door behind her. 

Finding the first things she could throw on, Mel grabbed a pair of capris jeans and a cute, lime-colored fitted t-shirt. Running her fingers through her curly hair a couple of times, she then brushed her teeth and opened the door. Sam was still sitting in the chair and playing with Ginger. Her little tongue was rolling out of the side of her mouth while Sam rubbed her tummy. 

“Awww! You two are so adorable!” Mel exclaimed as she walked over. She held her hands out to Sam and helped pull him to standing. 

Sam’s lips curled up in a goofy grin before they landed on Mel’s. His arms snaked around her waist while her hands found their way up his chest and behind his neck. Sam’s kisses had a way of making her head swim and she liked it. 

“I missed you,” Sam said, coming up for air and resting his forehead on hers. Ginger wanted more attention and was now pawing at his khakis, “And I guess Ginger missed me, too.”

Mel looked down at her pup with a grin then back at Sam, “Not as much as I missed you.” 

They kissed their way to the couch with Sam falling on top of Mel, one leg propped up on the back of the couch and both laughing.

“Well, this is a bit presumptuous,” Mel giggled as Sam stole little kisses from her lips down to her neck. 

Sam had his head buried in her neck, bringing his trail of kisses back up to her lips. “I dunno what you mean,” he teased, kissing her intimately until she started to melt under him. 

As much as she enjoyed being with Sam like this, it felt too rushed… too soon. Mel decided to be straight with Sam. She liked him a lot but he needed to know she wasn’t going to give up her viginity for just any guy. 

“Sam, you need to know something,” Mel managed to get out between kisses. 

He stopped long enough to brush away the hair from her eyes and kissed the tip of her nose. “What is it?” he murmured into her mouth.

Mel gently pushed him back so she could see his whole face, his expression, when he heard what she had to say. “Sam… I’ve never, you know… with a guy,” she said quietly, slightly embarrassed. She was pretty sure he had been with Penny a few times if the rumors around town were correct. 

Sam studied her a moment before his eyes illuminated with understanding. “Oh. Should I…?” he asked before slowly sitting up. 

Mel knew she had ruined a moment but it didn’t feel right just yet. “As much as I like kissing you and the way you make me feel, things are moving a little fast for me,” she admitted, bracing herself. Usually, this was when her past boyfriends either got mad or broke up with her. 

But Sam didn’t. If anything, his face became gentler and he took her hands in his, “We’ll slow down. I guess I thought, well, by the way you kiss… you’re a great kisser, by the way… that you had  _ other _ experience.”

Mel raised an eyebrow so Sam added, “Not that being a virgin is a bad thing! Or… that not being a virgin is bad either… I just…”

Mel rolled her eyes playfully and grabbed his collar, pulling him to her to smash lips again. When he relaxed under her grasp, she let go of his collar and broke their kiss to snuggle up to him. 

“Thank you for being such an understanding boyfriend. I haven’t had many and the ones I did weren’t near as sweet or as good as you are,” Mel said, listening to Sam’s erratic heartbeat. 

He hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head, “Forget those other guys. You are so special, Melody, and I don’t just say that because you’re my girl. I’ve known it since the moment we met.”

Mel leaned back and cradled Sam’s face, “I feel the same way about you, Sam. You always have this light about you and it shines brightest through your music.”

She felt Sam hug her tightly and then he suddenly sat up, hands grasping her arms, “Oh, yeah! I finished another piece of our song the other day! Wanna come over now so I can play it for you?” His deep blue eyes sparkled and it seemed like Sam was physically glowing with the energy emanating from him.

Mel felt overwhelmed by it but let it wash over her, warming her from head to toe. “I’d love to hear it. Lemme make sure Ginger has plenty of food and water then we can go,” she replied with a kiss on his cheek before jumping up. 

Sam came right behind her, spending some of his energy occupying Ginger so Mel could fill her bowls. The sweet pup cried for a few minutes after they left but ended up curled into a ball on her pillow bed, tuckered from playing with Sam so much.

The couple walked through the farm with fingers laced and arms swaying gently. It was a nice walk but Mel’s muscles were starting to ache again. When they got to Sam’s, Mel insisted popping into the kitchen to say hello to his mom, Jodi. She was tasting spaghetti sauce and simply waved, the corners of her eyes crinkling in a smile. 

Sam whisked Mel away to his room, eager to play their song and shut the door behind him. Mel walked over to the bed, sitting in her usual spot while Sam kicked off his shoes next to the door. When Mel looked up, Sam was pulling his Joja Mart polo overhead and she felt her face heat up. He had lean muscles rippling across his back and a wiry frame. Sam turned to his dresser for a shirt making Mel blush brighter at the sight of his six-pack and defined pecs. 

When Sam noticed her blushing, he smiled and came over to where she sat. “You can touch me if you like. I promise we won’t do anything else,” he said, voice low and a little gravelly. It made her heart skip a beat. 

Mel put her hand up tentatively to his bare chest and Sam reached for the other, placing it on the opposite side. She traced the muscles down to his stomach, watching him squirm and giggle when her fingers got to his side. 

“I never thought a guy as good-looking as you would ever give someone like me a second glance,” Mel whispered as she took Sam in, noticing discreetly that he had a slight bulge. She wondered, when it was the right time, if it would hurt. Some girls in high school said it did the first few times while others swore it was the closest to heaven they ever got. 

Sam swept the hair away from her face and cupped her cheek. He pulled her to him, giving her the sweetest, most gentle kiss and came away with his deep ocean eyes full of adoration. “My Melody, you are so smart, strong and beautiful... I never thought I stood a chance,” he replied quietly, his gaze staring straight to the center of her being. 

The whole rest of the world stopped with those words and Melody found it difficult to breathe. No other guy had ever looked at her like that before…she would definitely remember something like that. Maybe they weren’t moving too fast. If this is love, who makes the rules on how fast or slow a relationship has to go? 

Something in the back of her mind nagged at her but it was muffled by the rushing sound of blood to her brain. Mel smiled at Sam and opened her mouth to speak. The words that left her lips were not the ones she had meant to say but they were the ones that came out. Three little words, a short but meaningful phrase…

“Play our song?” Mel heard herself ask at Sam’s bemusement.  _ Wait...that wasn’t what I was gonna say,  _ Mel thought but the moment had passed. 

He kissed the tip of her nose and smiled, “Anything for you, Mel,” and turned to his dresser for a t-shirt. 

Her heart sank a little at the loss of Sam’s bare torso but at least the blood pumping so loudly before had lessened enough that she could breathe and think more clearly. She felt the heat leave her face and straightened up to hear the song Sam had been working on. 

Taking the spot next to Mel, Sam shot her a smile before beginning. The first part she remembered, a bit fun and flirty. Then with the new part, the tempo slowed a bit and it was more dramatic; like the realization that a dream could actually happen. Sam’s face was, again, calm and peaceful as he played; nimble fingers moving across the strings with a familiarity that she couldn’t understand. 

When Sam stopped, he looked to Mel for her thoughts, “Well?” There was a bit of eagerness behind his smile, hoping to please his muse again. 

Mel’s face lit up, “This is really the music you hear when we’re together?” He never ceased to amaze her every time she heard him play. 

Sam nodded, looking at her lips, “Even when I’m just thinking about you but especially when we kiss.” He leaned over and tenderly brushed his lips against hers before she came the rest of the way. 

Their lips smacked noisily when the door opened and they heard Sam’s mom say, ‘Oh!’. She stepped out quickly, closing the door behind her. A moment later they heard a soft knock. Jodi poked her head in and announced, “Dinner’s ready.”

“Thanks, mom. We’ll be right out,” Sam said with a grin. He was obviously not as embarrassed to have his mom catch them kissing. 

They ate dinner as if nothing happened, to Mel’s relief, talking mostly about the upcoming Flower Dance. 

“It’s so pretty! The girls dress in these beautiful white cotton dresses and the boys dress in light blue suits. They look so handsome!” Jodi gushed while cutting up Vincent’s spaghetti noodles. She stopped to give Mel and Sam a knowing smile, “I guess you two will be dancing together this year, right?”

Sam’s eyebrows went up and he cleared his throat, “I dunno. Formally, I haven’t asked Mel.” He turned to her, unsuccessfully hiding the grin forming on his face, “Will you be my dance partner, please?”

Mel gave him a playful smile, forgetting that his family were listening, “Well, I dunno. This IS my first Flower Dance. Certainly I should keep my card open.” 

The way Jodi’s jaw dropped when she snorted made Mel blush but when she started laughing, they all joined in. 

Mel reached over for Sam’s hand, “Of course I’ll be your dance partner. Who else would I want to dance with?”

——-

“Alex!” Evelyn called down the hall, “Breakfast is ready!” She went back into the kitchen to place the plate of toast in her hands on the table so she could get the cookies out of the oven. 

Alex swooped in, patting his grandpa on the back and kissing his granny on the cheek, stealing a cookie off the sheet. “Ow! Ow! Ow!” he exclaimed, bouncing the piping hot cookie between his hands before dropping it on a plate. 

Granny chuckled, “Serves you right, stealing hot cookies off the pan. Patience, young one.” She sat down with her hot tea and they ate breakfast peacefully. 

Alex was intending to be gone fishing while Mel was over. Apparently he still needed space after dreaming about her last night. It was so vivid the way she looked at him so lovingly, kissing him so intimately it took his breath away. The way she rubbed her fit body up against him...

“Alex, did you hear what I said?” Granny asked, perplexed that he was daydreaming again, “Mel called. She’s coming over early today to get started. Perhaps you can hang around and visit a short while before you go fishing.”

Alex couldn’t help the color draining from his face at the thought of being anywhere near Melody Reed right now. He swallowed a gulp of orange juice, “How early, granny? I really need…”

There was a knock at the door that stopped him mid-sentence. Alex started to sweat but wiped his face with a napkin before standing up to answer it. He knew his granny would ask him to answer the door and there was no need arguing. He was a big boy, he could handle a dream. 

“Morning, Alex!” Mel chimed happily. Her curly hair was up in the cute bun she’s been wearing for a few weeks… since she and Sam started dating. 

It was the real thing Alex had a problem handling and she was right there in front of him… within touching distance. He could hug her and nobody would think anything of it, right? Surely no one had figured out anything, well, besides Haley, but she wasn’t gonna tell anyone. 

Mel watched Alex zone out and stare at her like he did that night and she started to feel nervous.  _ What is going on with him and why won’t he talk to me about it? _

“Can I come in?” she tried, placing her hand on his shoulder to snap him out of his trance. 

Alex flipped like a switch, stepping to the side to let her in, “Yeah, come on. Morning, Farmer.” 

He cringed at using her old nickname but she just smiled, making this whole encounter worse. His stomach rolled and pitched as he tried to wrangle his feelings but the harder he tried to fight this crush on Mel, the harder it fought back.

“So, you staying to help granny and me with the flower arrangements? I know you love her cookies,” Mel asked, bumping her shoulder into his bicep playfully. 

Alex knew the next words that came out of his mouth would get him in trouble with granny but he was desperate. “No way. I’ve got better things to do than play with flowers. Besides, I’d end up doing it wrong and you two will have to fix it,” he said, shaking his head and holding his hands up in mock surrender. 

Mel frowned at him before shrugging her shoulders, “Whatevs. I had hoped we could sit and catch up. I haven’t seen much of my best friend lately and I miss fishing with him.” She had meant it in a playful way but Alex took it completely off stride. 

“I thought your  _ boyfriend _ was your ‘best friend’ or am I missing something?” Alex shot back, his jealousy causing the words to fly like venom off his tongue. He knew how they stung by the tears in Mel’s eyes and by the bitter taste they left in his mouth. 

Mel glared at him like she was getting ready to retort but instead turned away from him, making her way to the bathroom without a word. Granny called out her name as she flew by the kitchen. When Evelyn popped her head out into the hallway, she stopped at seeing the look of despair and anger twisted on her grandson’s face. 

“What is going on with you two?” Evelyn demanded with a worried look on her face. She had been pleased to see Alex doing better since hanging out with Mel but this past week or so, had her concerned again. 

Alex shook his head to keep his granny from seeing the tears welling up in his eyes. “Nothing,” he mumbled before grabbing his fishing gear and heading out before anyone else could bother him. 


	14. The Flower Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mel is excited for her first Flower Dance with her dreamy boyfriend, Sam. The only problem is that his ex keeps turning his head.

Alex hadn’t caught a damn thing… all week long. He sat there with his pole out of the water, looking at the bare hook dangling at the end. It mocked him.  _ You’re shit at fishing unless you have someone to show off to, admit it.  _

Without realizing it had happened, Alex started to hear the voices of doubt seeping back into the forefront of his mind. His defenses were down, mostly from lack of sleep and partly from spending so much time alone. Alex realized that he needs someone, whether it was a girlfriend, friend, enemy… it didn’t matter. He was no good on his own. Fishing wasn’t fun unless he was with Grandpa George or Mel. Gridball wasn’t fun unless he was tossing the ball with a person to receive it and send it back. 

Sighing heavily, Alex picked up his fishing supplies and headed back down the mountain. After his outburst with Mel on Sunday, she had waited until he was gone before coming over to help Granny the rest of the week. Granny had been very selective of her words this week as well but Alex wasn’t sure he liked it. Grandpa George was the only one who seemed sympathetic to his plight. 

No matter, the Flower Dance was tomorrow so he’d get through it and spend the summer at the beach until he heard from the coach. If Mel and Sam ended up at the beach, he would disappear like he normally does, ducking into corners or behind bushes when they came near. 

As Alex neared the house, he heard Mel’s voice and his stomach fell.  _ I can’t face her, not now… _ So, instead he tucked his fishing stuff beside the house out of sight and jogged to Haley’s. He knocked quickly, hoping Emily was gone already for some privacy. 

When Haley answered the door, she gave him a friendly smile, “Hey, Alex. What brings you by?”

Alex looked past her and shifted his weight nervously, “Is Emily home?”

Haley sighed, “We talked about this. The last time…”

Alex looked at Haley with his pitiful pleading brown eyes, “Please, Hale. I just need to talk.”

“Okay,” she replied finally, letting him in. When Alex sat on the couch and put his face in his hands she came to sit across from him, “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Alex lifted his head, tears starting to fall down his cheeks, “I’m in love with Melody Reed.”

Once the words left his mouth, Alex felt a wave of relief having admitted what he had been fighting for weeks. 

Haley sat back and nodded her head slowly, “Have you told her how you feel?” 

“I can’t! She’s with Sam and he makes her happy. I won’t make her choose between us but it’s killing me,” Alex admitted, sniffling and wiping his nose with the back of his hand. 

Haley took a tissue from the box on the table and handed it to him. “You’re assuming Mel has feelings for you as well. Wouldn’t it be better to get it out in the open?”

Alex took the tissue with a ‘thanks’ and wiped his eyes, then nose. “It’s not that simple. She probably won’t even speak to me anymore. I was a complete jackass to her Sunday so I’m pretty sure, if she felt anything for me, it’s gone.”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Haley scoffed, “Typical. You need to be straight with her. If you don’t do something, it’s gonna continue to eat you up inside, ruining any chance you would have at this girl.” She scooted to the edge of the couch and took Alex’s hands in hers, “What happened to the Alex that fought for what he wanted? The guy who wasn’t afraid of anything? That’s who you need right now.”

Alex frowned as he digested Haley’s words. She was asking where the warrior in him went but he was gone. Looking her in the eyes, he hoped the next words that left his mouth wouldn’t piss off the only other person he could talk to right now, “He fell in love with someone he couldn’t have.”

——-

The sunshine peeked through the windows, sending warm streams of light into the small cabin. Mel stretched loudly, watching the shadows play on the wall. Ginger yawned with a tiny whimper but laid her head back down in her pillow bed, not quite ready to get up. 

_ Today is the big day!  _ Mel thought happily as she sprung out of bed. She danced her way to the closet, taking out the white, cotton dress that Ms. Jodi had loaned her for today’s dance and held it up in front of her. It was frilly in the sleeves and the hem of the skirt and had tiny, little daisies embroidered throughout the fabric. 

Mel carefully laid the dress out on the bed and grabbed a quick breakfast before heading out to the chicken coop. There was no need to pick since all the plants were done for the season so she headed back inside with her basket of eggs and rinsed off in the shower. 

Humming quietly to herself, Mel put on a little makeup, smoothed her curls and put a blue butterfly clip in her hair. Carefully slipping on the white dress last, Mel buttoned up the front and stood before the mirror. It felt like she had too much makeup on but her reflection looked great. In fact, Mel felt butterflies in her stomach, she was so nervous. 

At the meadow, Mel searched for Sam and spotted him immediately at the far side talking to Abigail and Sebastian. Jodi wasn’t kidding when she said the guys looked handsome in their blue suits because Mel’s jaw dropped at seeing Sam.  _ He’s so beautiful _ , she thought before clearing her throat and making her way over. 

Abigail nudged Sam in the side with a smile and nodded in Mel’s direction. When he saw Mel, his heart skipped a beat. Her strawberry blonde curls were bouncing over her shoulders and the butterfly clip in her hair made her eyes intensely blue. But it was the makeup he was most surprised to see. Sam thought Mel was beautiful without it but today she looked…

“So beautiful,” Sam whispered when Mel stepped up beside him. He took her hand and brought it up to his lips, placing a kiss on the knuckles. 

“You look really handsome, yourself,” Mel said, grinning ear to ear. 

Abigail was smiling when she rolled her eyes, “Ahem! Earth to Sam. So, are you two dating now or what?” 

Sebastian was watching intently but didn’t say anything. He was giving Sam that same look from a couple of weeks ago. 

Sam blinked at Abigail before registering what she asked. With a goofy grin he answered, “Yeah. For, what, two weeks now?”

Mel smiled and nodded, “To the day.” She wanted to pinch herself to make sure this wasn’t a dream but, in the off chance that it was, decided against it. 

There was a loud whistle and Mel saw everyone heading to the clearing at the back. Sam grinned happily at Mel and laced their fingers as they followed the crowd. 

“You and Mrs. Mullner did a great job on the flower arrangements,” Sam whispered as they made their way to the front. 

Mel saw Mayor Lewis and Marnie standing in the front, facing the crowd. It looked like they were counting couples so she hugged up to Sam nervously. Looking around at those who gathered, she spotted Evelyn and George in a corner and gave them a quick wave. They returned it with happy smiles so Mel’s eyes wandered to the crowd. She was looking for Alex and found him standing next to Haley. To say he looked handsome in that suit would be an understatement. Alex wore it better than anyone here and he knew it by the look on his face. If Mel wasn’t so pissed at him, she might actually have swooned. As it was, she had her own handsome guy hanging on her arm. 

Mel looked up at Sam and noticed he had also scanned the crowd because he stared briefly at Penny before glancing away. Her stomach tightened at the thought that Sam might not be over Penny but he was here with her now. It was Mel’s first dance and she wasn’t going to let little trivial things ruin it. 

As if Sam heard her thoughts, he looked at Mel and gave her one of those sweet smiles that makes her heart skip a beat. Everything else just melted away. “Hey, you nervous?” he asked quietly as they took their places. 

“A little,” Mel admitted. Her heart hadn’t recovered from that skip and was now beating twice as fast to make up for it. 

Sam placed a kiss on her forehead, “Don’t be. We’ve got this.” He was partially saying this for his own benefit. He and Penny had always danced together, even before they dated, so Sam was a little nervous himself. 

The music started and the dance began. Mel stepped on Sam’s toe straight off but once he laughed it off, they found their rhythm and kept up. It was a simple dance with a couple of twirls, curtsies and bows, very archaic except for the outfits. 

“Get ready, it’s the part where we switch partners all the way down the line. I’ll be at the end, waiting for you,” Sam said with a wink and they were off. 

Step and twirl, then curtsy and switch. The next in line was Alex and the moment he saw her, Mel recognized that look of sadness in his eyes had returned. He twirled her, holding her waist a little longer than necessary and bowed just before they switched again. Mel felt heat on her face but kept moving, knowing that Sam would be waiting at the end for her. 

She looked to the next person, Shane, who was grumpier than he’d ever been and shot him a sympathetic smile before switching on to the next guy. Mel was coming back around to Sam, seeing a small smile on his face. As she rounded the corner, she saw it was directed at Penny and the tightening in her stomach was back. 

Near the end of the dance, the original partners then stood apart from each other and the gentlemen did some weird shuffle toward the ladies. Once they were paired again, the guys lifted the girls in one last twirl, set them back down and bowed. 

Sam was looking up at Mel with that face that said he was writing music again and her stomach loosened. Penny may have turned his head but Mel had his heart; she was his muse. 

“Ready for a drink?” Sam asked as he stood from his bow, stealing a quick peck before she answered. 

The rest of the day went on well enough. Mel and Sam hung with Abigail and Sebastian for a bit before they decided to head out. Before they left, Sebastian pulled Sam aside where they had a short but very intense conversation by the look on his face when he returned to Mel’s side. 

“Everything okay?” Mel asked, wrapping her arms around Sam’s waist. 

When he looked down at her, his features softened and he gave her a reassuring smile, “Yeah. Sebastian means well but he oversteps sometimes.”

When he didn’t elaborate further, Mel simply nodded and nestled her head against Sam’s chest. He kissed the top of her head and held her a moment longer before speaking again. 

“During the dance, I came up with the next part of our song,” Sam said quietly, trying to forget what Sebastian said. 

Mel leaned back to look at him, “Can I hear it?” She was hopeful to get some alone time with her boyfriend having spent all week helping Evelyn with flowers. 

Sam’s eyes sparkled as he smiled, “Sure. Are you done with the dance already?” He was teasing, of course, staying only for Mel’s sake anyway. The sooner he got away from Penny’s frequent glances, the better. Plus, he was tired of Alex pining over Mel.  _ I’m just glad she hasn’t caught on. If Mel knew Alex wanted to be with her, I’d be left hanging.  _

When Mel nodded, Sam put his arm around her shoulders and led her away. He kept his eyes forward as they went, Sebastian’s words hanging on the edge of his thoughts.  _ ‘You’re being stupid, Sam. You and Penny always end up getting back together but this time you’ve drug the new Farmer into it. There’s gonna be a lot of people getting hurt over this.’ _

Sam kissed Mel on the temple and felt her snuggle up to him. There was no guarantee he and Penny  _ would _ get back together, not this time. He really liked Mel; she made him happy. Why couldn’t his best friend see that?

Mel brought him out of his thoughts as they neared the ranch, “I’ve been thinking a lot about us lately.” She was twirling a curl around her finger absentmindedly. 

Sam put his other hand in his pocket and played with the guitar pick he kept with him all the time. “Really? Anything in particular?” he asked with a chuckle. 

Mel stopped walking and pulled Sam to face her. “Remember what I told you the last time you were over? That I haven’t been with anyone before?” Her heartbeat picked up as she gathered the courage to say what she had spent the week thinking about. 

Sam gave her his gentle smile, “Yeah. I also remember you said you wanted to slow down and I’m still okay with that.”

She looked around to make sure they had privacy before gazing into his deep blues. “I want to know what it’s like, Sam, and I want you to be my first,” Mel said matter of fact. 

After Alex blew up at her, she and Granny had a lot of good conversations. She had also called Mama Crane for advice so she had a lot to think about. Outside of the last guy she had dated briefly six months ago, Sam was the first real boyfriend she’d ever had and he was everything she had hoped for. Mel knew without a doubt that this was something she wanted to do. 

Sam wasn’t sure where this had come from but he couldn’t contain his happiness. He pulled Mel close and kissed her, deep and intimately. When she made a little noise, he smiled into their kiss. “Whenever you’re ready, my Melody,” he whispered, resting his forehead on hers. 

Mel didn’t hesitate when she answered, “Tonight.” Her voice low and sultry like she used on the phone that one time. 

Sam’s legs nearly gave out on him but he regained his composure, “Okay, tonight. We’ll make plans when we get to my room.”


	15. *One Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have some after Flower Dance shenanigans going on here! (Not as explicit as my other stories but there's still some descriptive bits)  
> Alex continues his internals battles, having lost his best friend and the girl he desperately wants while Mel wants Sam to be her first.

Alex watched Sam hold Mel’s hand and whisper things in her ear to make her giggle. He also watched Sam catch glimpses of Penny when she walked by only to shake out of it so he could focus the rest of his attention on Mel.  _ She deserves all of his attention. This is a fucking joke. He’s gonna hurt Mel... _

“Hey, are you going to be okay?” Haley asked suddenly, noticing the angry stare Alex was burning through Sam switch to utter longing when he glanced at Mel. 

He looked down at the ground and started kicking at a tuft of grass with the toe of his shoe. “No, not really,” Alex grunted.

He had wanted to go over and apologize, several times, but Sam never left Mel’s side and he wanted to pound the guy into dust. Besides that, Mel looked more beautiful than he’d ever seen her and he couldn’t stand the thought of being near her, smelling of roses. Every time he thought about it, the lump in his throat grew and he couldn’t swallow. 

Haley had been noticing things as she mingled through the crowd. Penny was definitely not over Sam. At every opportunity she had, she would pass by him, fluttering her eyelashes until she caught his attention but Mel always drew him back. When Sam did notice Penny, like during the dance, it was clear he hadn’t completely gotten over her either even though he was totally smitten with Mel. 

With the way Mel was dressed today, Haley could understand why Alex was attracted to her.  _ Things would be so much easier if Alex would just tell Mel and take what he wanted. That’s how we started dating and it was so hot. _ But this Alex had changed and he wouldn’t fight. He would rather suffer and let the woman he was falling in love with fall for someone else.  _ Ugh, do I have to do everything myself? _

“Then go home, Alex. Stop torturing yourself if you’re not going to at least talk to her,” Haley commanded heatedly. They may not be dating anymore but she still cared for Alex and it bothered her to see him like this. All this stress was going to wreak havoc on her complexion. 

Alex looked at Haley, brows down in a helpless frown and nodded in defeat. “See you later, Hale,” he said before going to help his grandparents home. 

When they passed by Mel, she gave a grin and wave, not daring to look Alex in the eye. It was cold to be at the end of the cordial generic smile when he had been on the other side of her warmth, receiving special smiles and playful pushes. Alex felt like things could never go back to those innocent days of laughter and magic hugs. He’d messed all of that up and had no idea how to fix it now. He’d lost his best friend but worse, he didn’t even put up a fight and still didn’t have the girl. Alex wasn’t sure if he liked the new him anymore…

——-

Mel hurried past the ranch listening to the crickets chirp as the last remnants of spring cling to the air. This would be the last chilly night until Fall so she relished in it. Sam said his mom went to bed at about nine so she was at his bedroom window at nine-thirty. 

Using her fingernail, she tapped quietly until Sam’s grinning face popped up. She had to step on a crate to get high enough for Sam to pull her in. They ended up with her arms around his neck as he closed the window with one arm. As soon as Sam looked back down at Mel, she giggled quietly. 

“Next time you should sneak into my room,” Mel whispered before Sam pressed his lips to hers. She welcomed the feeling of utter weightlessness that came with Sam’s kisses.

Sam led Mel to the bed and pulled back the covers. Her stomach fluttered nervously when Sam’s hands came to rest on her waist and he looked her in the eyes. 

“You’re sure this is what you want?” He asked gently, waiting for a clear answer before continuing. 

“Yes,” Mel whispered as she nodded for good measure. 

She wrapped her arms around Sam’s neck as he started to kiss her gently, her body seeming to prickle all over as heat rushed to her face and down her torso. 

Immediately, Sam pushed her down onto the bed and pulled the covers up just as his mom called his name. The door opened a moment later and Jodi popped her head in. 

“I thought I heard…” she said, glancing around his room before settling on Sam, “Why is your face red, son?”

Sam’s mind raced to think of an excuse that would get him in trouble and saw the dumbbells lying nearby. “I just finished working out,” he said, shrugging, “Sorry if I was too loud. I’ll keep it quieter but just in case…” Sam turned his radio on low.

Jodi smiled at her son and said, “That’s fine, Sam. Goodnight,” and closed the door behind her.

Sam crept over to the door and waited a few minutes until he heard his mom’s footsteps retreat back down the hall before he locked it. When he came back over to the bed and pulled the covers back, Mel looked up at him with frightened eyes. 

“That was way too close,” she whispered but he shook his head and climbed in next to her.

“She won’t be back but we have to be quiet,” Sam whispered back. He swept the curls off her face and smiled encouragingly. He knew his mom would leave him alone now and he wanted to be with his girlfriend. What would happen if she changed her mind? 

Mel still wasn’t convinced. At first, the idea of sneaking into her boyfriend’s room where they would have a magical night of sex seemed exhilarating but she was beginning to rethink it. She hadn’t considered the fact that there would be other people in the house or that she would have to keep her voice down. 

“Maybe you can come over tomorrow night for dinner and we can try again?” Mel suggested, getting ready to slip out of bed and head home, tail tucked between her legs. 

But Sam was convinced they were fine. He just had to persuade Mel and that didn’t take long. He ran his hands up underneath her shirt and across her back, making her arch into him. She had to kiss him deeply to keep from making noises. 

Bringing Mel’s shirt overhead, Sam let it fall next to the bed behind Mel so he could take his own off. Mel watched the sinewy muscles in his chest ripple as he moved, putting her in a heated trance. Sam wrapped his arms around her, hugging Mel to him so their skin touched. Everywhere Sam’s skin connected with Mel’s sent wild flames and it was almost too much. She wanted more. 

Mel started to take off her pants but Sam stopped her, wanting to take his time since this was her first. He kissed down her neck, unfastening her bra as he went. Her hands involuntarily moved to cover her breasts but he gently removed them, kissing the tips of her fingers before putting her arms around his neck. 

Sam continued his kisses while he explored Mel’s body with his hands, giving a gentle squeeze around her breasts before moving to her pants. She helped him slip them off, dropping them to the floor with her shirt. Every new touch was a new sensation that spread like wildfire until her whole body was hot and the place between her legs felt wet. 

Mel went to unfasten Sam’s pants but his hand slipped between her thighs, sending a new spike of heat straight to her chest. Her eyes went wide and she let out a huff of breath, trying to regulate her breathing between the pulses of tingling pleasure Sam was bringing. 

He smiled and whispered in her ear, “That was just the warmup,” before taking his hand away to remove his jeans. 

Mel whimpered quietly at the loss of his touch and bit her hand as she watched him roll on a condom. The moment of truth was near. Would this feel like everything she dreamed it would be or would it be painful like the girls at school had told her? 

Sam slid on top of Mel and kissed the tip of her nose. At first, they stared into each other’s eyes, ready for the point of no return. When Mel smiled up at Sam he came down for a kiss as he entered. Mel was glad Sam’s mouth covered hers because it caught the sound that fled her mouth. Mel quickly found out two things: Sam was super gentle and she loved the way he felt inside her. 

Mel wasn’t sure what else to do but let her hands roam across Sam’s strong body as they fell into a rhythm. Just as she was able to regulate her breathing, keeping as quiet as she could with little hot breaths leaving her in small huffs, the sensation that had been building below her stomach popped. A rush, tingly and warm, exploded from between her legs and filled her completely from head to toe, pulsing in heated waves. She clung to Sam as he slowed, grunting to keep going until she felt him shudder. His weight sank down on Mel, her legs wrapped around his hips, his face buried in her neck. Mel stroked his back, hand running across his bare bottom and back up. Her other hand was tangled in the hair on the back of his head, still holding him to her as they caught their breath. 

With a grunt and groan, Sam pushed himself upward to look at Mel’s face. The drunken smiles they gave each other were indicative that they both enjoyed the experience. He kissed her sweetly before falling beside her on his back. She watched him discard the used condom before turning on his side. 

“How was it?” Sam asked quietly, reaching out to rest his hand on her flat stomach. 

Mel turned toward him, letting his hand move across her to rub her thigh as she scooted closer. She kissed the tip of his nose and smiled, “My beautiful Sam, that was perfect. It felt incredible, really.”

Smiling back at his Melody, Sam brought his other arm around to hug her bare body to him. She was warm as she nuzzled into him. He rested his cheek on her head, his heart pounding still, and heard the words leave his mouth in the faintest whisper as he thought them, “I think I’m in love with you.” He wasn’t even sure she heard them. 

Mel’s eyes popped open but she didn’t move. Sam’s lips were close enough to her ear that she had heard him mutter something but couldn’t really make it out. As she reformed the words in her mind, she imagined he had said he loved her but that couldn’t be right. No guy had ever fallen in love with Mel… but this was  _ her _ story,  _ her _ life now and it  _ could _ happen. Rather than ruin the moment by embarrassing herself, Mel lifted her head just enough to kiss Sam’s Adam’s apple and snuggled back into him. For now, this was enough. They still had plenty of time and, like Sam said, she wanted to see where this would go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write this chapter in a way that gives you, the reader, a fluttery feeling but without going into detail. It was difficult to rein in the natural dirty bird that is my brain so hopefully this is an enjoyable happy medium. lol <3

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure how long this story will take but it is romance heavy, tons of fluff, without most of the smut in my previous stories. Please leave your comments and kudos! It's been a while since I was able to write so I need to know if ya'll like this or not. lol Thanks for reading!! <3


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